West Japan Railway Company — or JR West — has just announced that it will build what it says will be the world’s first 3D-printed train station.
While 3D printing has emerged as a more sustainable and cost-effective construction method compared to traditional architecture, it has primarily been used to build homes or other small structures.
The new station structure in Japan, which will replace an old wooden shelter, measures about 108 square feet, similar to a tiny home or other small building.
A press release for JR West said that the company and its partners “have been considering a new endeavor to build station buildings using construction 3D printers in response to the reconstruction of aging wooden and other station buildings.”
This makes it a great case study for integrating 3D printing technology into renovating old train stations across the country.
JR West worked with Serendix, a Japanese 3D printing company that has manufactured unique 3D-printed homes in the past, to bring the new structure to life.
The construction process took place in late March, with an estimated opening date in the summer of 2025. The new station will be located in the southern prefecture of Wakayama, about 60 miles south of Osaka, at Hatsushima Station.
“The exterior shape of the building, including the foundations, will be printed using the latest 3D printer technology,” the press release explained.
“After the printed parts have undergone the necessary processing (reinforcement and concrete filling), they will be assembled on-site … The estimated construction time on the day (assembly to completion of the structure) is approximately six hours, between the last train and the first train of the day.”
JR West said this approach will shorten the construction period compared to conventional construction methods, like steel frame and traditional reinforced concrete construction.
The station was printed using an innovative reinforced concrete filament, making it “durable and resistant to corrosion,” according to JR West.
The exterior design of the structure, as shown in a computer rendering, will be a minimalist white shed with a curved roof. It will also have an image of a mandarin orange carved on the side, representing a fruit grown in the area.
This aligns with the company's effort to “create a station building that reflects the unique characteristics of the area and is loved by local residents, contributing to regional coexistence.”
According to CNN Travel, the project will provide the company — and other Japanese transit companies — a chance to explore and study “sustainable building materials and cutting-edge technologies,” to hopefully be implemented in other regions in the future.
“Using the station building to be constructed this time as a basic model, we will consider the possibility of expanding it to other stations,” JR West added in the press release.
“The introduction of this technology will address the emerging labor shortage and promote the planned renewal of railway facilities. This will increase the sustainability of railway infrastructure and make steady progress towards realizing our long-term vision of providing ‘safe, secure transportation that is friendly to people and the earth.’”
Header image by MaedaAkihiko (CC BY-SA 4.0)
