World's First 3D-Printed Railway Station Built In Japan In Just 6 Hours

In a world first, a railway station in Japan has been built using 3D-printed components in under six hours. Construction firm Serendix built the Hatsushima railway station to replace an old wooden structure between the departure of the night's last train and the arrival of the morning's first one, according to a report in the New York Times.

The station, which caters to around 530 passengers who use a single line with trains running one to three times an hour, is situated in a quiet seaside town, part of Arida, a 25,000-population city in Wakayama Prefecture.

The new building covers just over 100 square feet and is significantly smaller than the previous wooden station. As per the West Japan Railway Company (JR West), building the station the traditional way would have taken over two months and cost twice as much.

To speed up the project, JR West involved Serendix as the station parts were printed in a factory in Kumamoto prefecture, about 500 miles southwest of Hatsushima. The printing and concrete reinforcement took seven days. The components were then transported by road and arrived at the station site on the morning of March 24.

"Normally, construction takes place over several months while the trains are not running every night," said Kunihiro Handa, a co-founder of Serendix.

After the last train left the station at 11:57 pm, workers began assembling the 3-D printed pieces. A crane was used to lift each 3D block and place it into position near the old station. The new structure was ready before the first train arrived at 5:45 am.

“We believe that the significance of this project lies in the fact that the total number of people required will be reduced greatly,” said Ryo Kawamoto, president of JR West Innovations.

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While the building has been put in place, it still needs interior work as well as equipment such as ticket machines and transportation card readers. As per JR West, the new railway station building is expected to be opened to the public in July.

Notably, the Hatsushima station was chosen for the project due to its seaside position, which allowed the company to evaluate the building's resilience against exposure to salty air. The new technology is also being explored as a possible solution to Japan's labour shortages in railway construction.