Czech Railways do not want to sell the land near the train station in Brno for now

Publisher
ČTK
09.02.2012 16:10

Brno - Czech Railways currently do not wish to sell the land near the main station in the center of Brno. The carrier is only examining whether it will need these properties in the future. This was informed today by the railway spokesman Radek Joklík in response to information from Hospodářské noviny, according to which the new owner of the four-hectare area worth up to 400 million crowns is to be the development company Brno new station development (BNSD) with hidden owners.
Hospodářské noviny wrote today that Czech Railways have long-term leased the land to the company, and BNSD additionally has a right of first refusal on it. However, according to the newspaper, the Railway Infrastructure Administration (SŽDC) disagrees with the sale of the land because it could jeopardize the modernization of the station.
Czech Railways reacted to the alleged speculations. "The heated debate surrounding the alleged sale of the land near the main station in Brno is nonsensical. Czech Railways have not yet even decided to actually sell the land in question. There has only been an allocation of them as part of the selection of potential surplus property. The company could sell them only after it has clearly demonstrated that they will not serve for further development of the station and the sale is approved by the governing bodies of ČD." said Joklík.
According to the newspaper, the Ministry of Transport was unaware of the planned transaction until this week. "It has not yet passed through the supervisory board or the management board," said the deputy minister and chairman of the supervisory board of ČD, Lukáš Hampl. He added that the railways would sell the land only if it were surplus property and only at market value.
"Everything is at the stage of assessing surplus. Czech Railways are waiting for an official statement from SŽDC and the potential sale has not yet been discussed by the company's bodies. If it turns out that the allocated land may serve for further expansion and reconstruction of the Brno station in the future, they will not be sold," Joklík added.
SŽDC spokesman Pavel Halla confirmed to ČTK that they received a request for a statement from Czech Railways and have 30 days to respond. "However, I can already preliminarily say that our position will be negative," he told ČTK. SŽDC, in fact, does not know whether it may not need the land.
According to experts, the price of the land in case of eventual sale will be influenced by the fact that it is leased for 40 years and that there is a right of first refusal. Court expert Vladimír Vácha told HN that the price could also be influenced by the nature of the lease agreement. However, ČD refuses to show it.
BNSD, whose leadership includes the vice-chairman of the Brno ODS Jiří Hos, does not wish to comment on the planned deal.
According to the Brno Civic Coalition Nádraží v centru, a document regarding the sale was created in ČD on January 27, which SŽDC should already have. If the representatives of the coalition are to be believed, the sale of the land would prevent the current station from being reconstructed. It would have to be relocated. However, according to the coalition, the state does not have money for that.
The leadership of Brno has long advocated relocating the main station 700 meters to the south, but funding for the construction is currently lacking, as are most of the necessary urban planning documents and permits. The relocation of the station from the center has long been criticized by civic activists and some transport experts. According to them, the current Brno station can be modernized and expanded.

Czech Railways do not want to sell the land near the train station in Brno for now

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