Kutchan Station’s New Design Is Decided

From 1 to 21 January, Kutchan Town held a survey to determine the design for a revamped Kutchan Station, and the results are in.

Kutchan Station is getting a huge makeover in preparation for it becoming the Hokkaido Shinkansen (Bullet Train) Kutchan Station when it is connected to the expanded Shinkansen line, currently under construction, between the present terminus of Hakodate and Sapporo.

The entire station and its surroundings are being redesigned for the opening and Kutchan Town’s survey asked residents and non-residents alike to vote on their favourite design out of three options.

1,899 people participated in the survey and the clear winner was Plan A which received 44.7% of the vote.

The responses were filed online and on paper with 94% of participants being under age 30, probably due to the three briefing sessions about the new station that the town held at local schools in January.

While Kutchan Towns’s survey results website page says that the station is scheduled to open in 2030, the Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency indicated last fall that due to construction challenges, the Hokkaido Shinkansen Expansion probably won’t open till sometime in 2031.

Images:
Kutchan Station Plan A rendering, JRTT Railway and Transport Organization
Kutchan Station under construction in October 2023, Thomas Shomaker

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