East Japan Railway Co. said Friday an affiliated body of the railway operator will restore the nation's first railway station, which dates back to 1872, in the Shinbashi district of Minato Ward, Tokyo, in spring 2003.
The remains of the station, which collapsed in the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, were excavated in 1991 at the Shiodome redevelopment area near the current Shinbashi Station.
The restored structure, estimated to cost about 800 million yen, will not replace the current station building, but will be built mainly for cultural purposes.
The nation's first railway began service in 1872, linking Shinbashi and Yokohama.
Based on existing photos and the remains, East Japan Railway Culture Foundation will erect a building that looks the same as the original, the foundation said.
Exhibition rooms, a restaurant and windows -- through which visitors will be able to see the basement of the original building and old tracks -- will be constructed inside the building, the foundation said.
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