Tech Japan constructs the world's first train station using 3D printing

In collaboration with Serendix, JR West has completed what they claim to be the world's first 3D-printed train station. The project aims to reduce the labour required to replace and maintain structures along less-frequented railway lines.


The newly constructed station building at Hatsushima Station in Arida, located on the Kisei Main Line, was installed just two hours early Wednesday, during the window between the last train on Tuesday night and the first train the following morning.

While Serendix has previously constructed around ten 3D-printed houses, this marks its first non-residential project specifically designed to accommodate ticket machines and gates—JR West Innovations, a subsidiary of JR West, invested in the company in May 2024.

The new building was assembled from a few premade components, including a 5.5-tonne structure with the base and walls, a 2.5-tonne decorative wall with a motif of a mandarin orange -- an Arida speciality -- and a 6-tonne curved roof. [...] The hope is that this method will save time and labour in a shorthanded industry. The assembly process for the Hatsushima building, handled by Serendix, required just six workers, including the crane operator. Normally, constructing a station building takes one or two months for the main structure alone, during which work near the tracks will likely disrupt train service.

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