https://youtu.be/3-QmOoXuwaQOita Prefecture organized a symposium on East Kyushu Shinkansen and proposed a different route, going along the Kyushu Shinkansen until Shin-Tosu and then diverging eastward through Hida and Yufu to Oita.
>Oita - Hakata is faster>Oita - Osaka doesn't require a slow switchback(which makes up most of time lost on the longer route anyway)>there's no need to deal with JR West about the fact they own the shinkansen track immediately west of Hakata station>the parallel conventional line for JR Kyushu to 3rd-sectorize is now the barely profitable Kyudai Main Line instead of the 20000+ transit density section of the Nippo Main Line>Hida and Yufu, both already reputable tourist destinations, get a better connection with rest of the country, meaning more tourist money>Hida especially since they got fucked by landslides breaking the Hitahikosan Line and JR Kyushu deciding the ridership is too low to repair it and replacing it with BRT>Tosu will gain a lot from being at the Shinkansen crossroads so they'll support it>Nagasaki will support it because it puts more pressure on Saga to get on with completing the Nagasaki Shinkansen>all of that outside support will help get the line actually builtThe only loser in this situation is Nakatsu, which already has Sonic and Nichiran connecting it to Oita and Kokura in 40 minutes or so two times per hour
