Workers in remote Japan constructed a brand-new train station in the six hours that followed the withdrawal of the night’s final teach and the morning’s first coach. It will remove a tremendously bigger wooden structure that has been in this far-off community’s use for more than 75 years.
In a world first, the railroad’s operators claim, the components of the new station were 3D printed somewhere and assembled on site past month. The West Japan Railway Co. claims that building one the traditional manner would have taken more than two times and cost half as much. However, it may seem more like a house than a place.
The preservation of rail infrastructure, including obsolete place buildings, is a growing concern for railway operators as Japan’s people ages and its workforce shrinks. Rural areas have posed a particular challenge because of the declining population of users.
Hatsushima, the new station, is located in a quiet seaside town that is a part of Arida, a 25 000-population city in Wakayama prefecture, which borders Osaka and Nara prefectures, two well-known tourist destinations. The station, which is served by a single line of trains that run three times per hour, has about 530 riders per day.
Yui Nishino, 19, commutes to school on it every day. She described how excited she was when she first learned that this location would be the first 3D-printed station in the world.
According to her, “watching it, the work is moving at a rate that would be impossible with typical construction.” ” I hope they can use 3D printing technology to create more buildings,” said one worker.
Serendix, the construction company that collaborated with West Japan Railway on the project, claimed it took seven days to print the parts and reinforce them with concrete.
On the southwestern island of Kyushu, a factory in Kumamoto prefecture executed the printing. On March 24, the parts left the factory to be transported by road to Hatsushima Station, which is located about 500 miles northeast.
Construction typically takes place over several months while the trains aren’t operating every night, according to Kunihiro Handa, a co-founder of Serendix. Construction projects close to commercial lines are subject to stringent regulations and are typically completed overnight to avoid compromising schedules.
Several hundred residents gathered to watch the first-of-its-kind initiative get underway as trucks carrying the 3D-printed parts began to arrive on a Tuesday night in late March.
Then, after the final train left at 11.57 p.m., construction workers got busy constructing the new station.
The preprinted parts, which were created using a special mortar, were assembled in less than six hours. They were delivered on separate trucks, and a large crane was used to lower each one to the workers ‘ berths, just a few feet from the old station.
The new station, which measures just over 100 square feet, was finished before the first train arrived at 5:30 am. Arida’s signature features include a mandarin orange and a scabbardfish, which are both found in the minimalistic, white building.
Additionally, it still required interior improvements, as well as access to ticket vending machines and reader for credit cards. West Japan Railway stated that it anticipated opening the new facility in July.
Railway officials express hope that the station will demonstrate how remote service can be maintained while using less staff and new technology.
The significance of this project, in our opinion, lies in the fact that the number of people needed will be greatly decreased, according to Ryo Kawamoto, president of the rail operator’s JR West Innovations venture capital unit.
The wooden structure that the new station will replace was finished in 1948. It has been automated since 2018, just like many smaller stations in Japan.
Toshifumi Norimatsu, 56, who runs the post office a few hundred feet away, was upset about the new structure.
He expressed his sadness at the demolition of the former train station. However, I’d be happy if this station could inspire other stations to follow their example.
