The building of the Pardubice train station is set for a billion-dollar renovation

Pardubice - The Pardubice train station building is set to undergo a reconstruction costing one billion crowns excluding VAT. It will take almost two years. The building from the 1950s is a significant functionalist structure. The Czech Railways (SŽ) will respect its heritage value, said SŽ director Jiří Svoboda to reporters today during the construction kickoff. The investment follows the completed modernization of the railway junction for seven billion crowns excluding VAT.

The post-war station building with a hotel was designed by architect Karel Řepa together with Josef Danda and Karel Kalvoda. They planned the state contract in the late 1940s, and construction lasted until 1958. Following the modernization of the railway junction, which took almost four years, the next phase is the renewal of the station's dispatch building.

"The work will take place during full operation; otherwise, it is not possible. We will divide the hall into two parts, half of the hall will be closed, and half will remain operational," said Svoboda.

The shape of the reconstruction has been consulted by SŽ with architect Miroslav Řepa, the son of Karel Řepa. For example, the architect disagreed with relocating the public restrooms; they will remain in their original location.

"The design of the hall was implemented with Miroslav Řepa; we were indeed not allowed to do many things. I completely agree with this because the hall is timeless. It was challenging, and what I regret the most is that the architect did not live to see it," said Svoboda. Miroslav Řepa passed away last year.

As part of the modernization, the eastern and western wings and the residential building, which were built later, will be restored. The builders will completely reconstruct the roof, facade, and entire interior. It will return to its original form, which should meet the current requirements of passengers and transport companies. New photovoltaic panels will be installed on the roof.

In the first year, the eastern wing and half of the hall will be reconstructed, followed by the western wing and the other half of the hall. The residential building will be the last to be addressed. The investment will cost over one billion crowns excluding VAT and will be financed from national sources from the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure. It is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

"A major topic was the construction of a parking lot under the hall, which will be for official use. It will ultimately be part of the building. I believe we can handle it all; during the construction of the fifth platform, we realized how it works here with the groundwater level," said Svoboda.