projects. Another high-speed rail was planned to link Tehran the capital to Mashhad, the second largest city in Iran. In 2016, the route was planned to have 800 km rail and the speed of 400 km/h which would have decreased the travel time from 8 hours to 3.5 hours. A reduced $1.5 billion plan for electrification and upgrading of the existing 967 km line from 160 km/h to 200 km/h was signed by a consortium of Iranian (Mapna Group) and Chinese companies in July 2017, before the Chinese backed out in January 2021. Israel In 2020, Israel's National Infrastructure Committee approved high-speed rail links between the four metropolitan cities – Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa and Beersheba. The project is slated for completion by 2040, with a top speed of 250 km/h. The high-speed electrified connection between Tel Aviv and Haifa will cost $3.8 billion and reduce travel time from 1 hour to 30 minutes, due to be completed by 2030 but with no budget for rolling stock. Further plans currently planned for completion by 2040 include an extension north of Haifa, a continuation from Tel Aviv through Ben Gurion Airport to Jerusalem, and an unspecified connection to Beersheva. Japan A maglev line between Tokyo and Osaka, the Chuo Shinkansen, is under construction by the Central Japan Railway Company (JR Central). The Nagoya-Tokyo section is planned to be opened in 2027. The Nagoya-Osaka section is projected to be completed in 2045. The route is to be privately financed through bond sales by JR Central, but the intermediate stations will be financed by local governments. JR Central expects at least 8 years between the completion of the Tokyo section and the start of construction of the Osaka to rebuild its financial position. The federal government is exploring options to accelerate the project. Research on high-speed rail systems based on magnetic levitation have been ongoing since the 1970s, led by JR Central. The trains and guideways are technologically ready and over 100,000 people have ridden them. Pre-series L0 series trains on the Yamanashi Test Line have reached speeds of (crewed), making them the fastest trains in the world. The Yamanashi test track is to be incorporated into the under construction Tokyo–Osaka maglev route. Extensions to the current network expansions, notably from Hakodate to Sapporo, have been approved for construction. The route of the final extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen has not been finalised.