Chomutov has been waiting for the government's decision regarding the relocation of the train station for the third year

Chomutov - For the third year, Chomutov has been waiting for the government's decision regarding the relocation of the main train station closer to the city center. The Rail Administration announced its intention to the city in 2019 and requested quick support. The costs for the construction of the new facility and the reconstruction of the railway track are estimated at four billion crowns, said Chomutov Mayor Marek Hrabáč (ANO). According to him, people who run businesses near the current station are living in uncertainty.

"I call every two weeks to see if a decision has been made. We were immediately pressured to give the green light to the council. We approved the plan and since then nothing has happened," Hrabáč stated. Currently, the train station is approximately 800 meters from the bus station, outside of residential construction. People walk to the station or drive. If the station were to be located where the coal warehouses currently are, the distance would be reduced to about 350 meters.

"The Rail Administration is currently processing comments on the plans for the reconstruction project of the station in Chomutov. We expect to submit it to the central commission of the Ministry of Transport for approval during this summer," said spokeswoman for the Rail Administration Nela Friebová to ČTK.

According to Hrabáč, the priority of the city is the interests of the people who run businesses in the area where the new main station could be located. "Unfortunately, they do not know whether the plan will be realized or not," Hrabáč noted. The investor must deal with the landowners. Until that happens, he cannot apply for a building permit and cannot start construction,

The abandoned space of the station could, according to Hrabáč, be used by the city as a development zone and one of the abandoned tracks as a bicycle path. The relocation of the station has been considered in terms of the land-use plan since 1996. The original option was to move the station to the site of the former winter stadium, which was not feasible because it was in the floodplain of the Chomutovka River.