West Japan Railway Co. is preparing to drill into a hot spring in the center of Kobe, with a view to incorporating a spa facility into the redevelopment plan for the aging terminal building of a major station, JR West and city officials said Tuesday.
Subject to the renewal plan is Sannomiya Terminal Building, which started its operation in 1981 and houses commercial facilities, including a hotel, they said.
JR West has obtained permission to drill into the hot spring from the Hyogo governor in October for use at a planned hotel.
JR Sannomiya Station is one of the railway's busiest stations, serving around 240,000 passengers a day. Several stations of private railways are located in close proximity.