Japan to build first-ever 3D-printed train station in six hours
3D printer technology will be employed to build a new structure for Hatsushima Station in Arita, Wakayama Prefecture, at the end of this month.https://t.co/KJycuImCoe
— The Japan News (@The_Japan_News) March 13, 2025
On March 11, 2025, West Japan Railway Co. (JR West) announced it would construct Japan’s first 3D-printed train station in Wakayama Prefecture.
The Japan News says the locomotive company will replace the aging Hatsushima Station along the Kisei Line in Arita.
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JR West chose Japanese 3D-printing company Serendix for the project. The new station will be a one-story concrete building that is 2.6m tall, 6.3m wide, and 2.1m deep.
The 3D printing firm will fabricate each piece of the train station and then process it further, such as installing rebar and pouring concrete.
Once ready, Serendrix will send them to the site for assembly, which will take only an astounding six hours.
That is the time between the last train at night and the first train the next morning. As a result, Wakayama residents can use their new train station immediately.
Japan Today explains that 3D printing will allow more flexible train station designs. Traditionally, creating each part required formwork, a frame of wooden or metal beams and sheets for molding concrete.
Building anything beyond a rectangle using formwork requires special frames to accommodate the additional weight of shapes without right angles.
Conversely, 3D printing allows designers to be more creative, such as by building train stations with more elegant curves and intricate designs.
JR West chose Hatsushima Station as its first 3D-printed train station because it’s close to the sea.
The location exposes the station to salty air, which makes metal and other construction materials degrade faster.
As a result, these conditions make it easier for the train company to check the building’s durability and other important factors.
“We will closely examine the cost for construction, maintenance, and management, and hopefully bring the project to other stations, too,” said a JR West official.
