Azernews.Az

Nazrin Abdul

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The Japanese city of Arida, located in southern Osaka Prefecture, is now home to the world’s first 3D-printed train station.

Azernews reports, this innovative structure replaces an old wooden station that had been in service for more than 75 years.

The new station was constructed in just six hours, during the overnight window between the last train’s departure and the first train’s arrival. The reinforced concrete building stands 2.6 meters talland covers 9.3 square meters. Its exterior is decorated with images of mandarins and scabbard fish, symbolizing the region’s famous local products.

The project is a collaboration between the West Japan Railway Company (JR West) and Serendix, a construction company specializing in 3D printing. According to JR West, using traditional construction methods would have taken over two months and cost twice as much.

The 3D-printed structural parts were prepared over seven days in Kumamoto Prefecture, then transported to Arida for overnight assembly. The building complies with Japan’s seismic safety standards for reinforced concrete structures.

While the main structure is complete, ticket machines and turnstiles are still being installed. The station is expected to open to passengers in July 2025.