The Ústí nad Orlicí - Czech Railways will sell the unused listed railway station building in Ústí nad Orlicí to the company Oustecké nádraží. It won the tender with a price of 1.45 million crowns, stated state company spokesperson Radek Joklík. The purchasing entity was established last October by activists for the preservation of the building, including director Olga Sommerová. They plan to create facilities for passengers on the ground floor and rent out apartments on the first floor, said manager Martin Kadrman to ČTK.
"We already have our first interested party for the use of an apartment, who currently travels to Česká Třebová by train for an hour; now the journey would be reduced to ten minutes," Kadrman stated. According to him, tenants must have a connection to the railway, as the building is located between the tracks and there is busy traffic around it.
The company Oustecké nádraží would like to create facilities for passengers in the historic building, mainly a waiting room, café, restaurant, and possibly a grocery store. "It will take some time to settle all the formalities, the registration in the cadastre, and to find operators. People will see changes by May or early summer," Kadrman said.
The company wants to finance the purchase from contributions from four partners; it currently has a basic capital of 1000 crowns. The additional funds may come from a bank loan.
The original station, built in 1874, is one of the oldest station buildings in the country. It was designed by architect Rudolf Frey. The building, shaped like an H with stone cornices, is constructed from brick, while the upper floors are made of less common half-timbering. It is interesting, among other things, because it stands in the middle of the tracks and is passable, allowing both dispatchers and passengers to move from one side to the other. It has been out of operation for several years, and after the modernization of the railway junction, a new dispatch building has been created in Ústí.