The South Moravian Region has revived the plan for the construction of an underground railway in Brno

Brno - The South Moravian Regional Council advocates for the construction of an underground railway in Brno to begin within five years. A plan that has been in the making for 40 years and was never realized due to a lack of funds, officials want to connect with the relocation of the train station. According to the deputy governor Anna Procházková (ODS), it is necessary for passengers from the relocated station to reach the city center comfortably. Simply relying on tram transportation would not guarantee this, Procházková told journalists today.
    The region should select a team of designers and architects by the end of the year that will prepare the documentation for the zoning decision for the construction, according to Procházková. "We are preparing the assignment and a public tender for this study will be announced. This is proof that we have a strong interest in making progress in the preparations," Procházková said.
    According to the deputy, the first section of the underground railway with three stops should be completed by the end of 2016. By the end of 2013, a request for European funds should be sent to Brussels. The financing, the amount of which is not yet known according to Procházková, should come from the EU, the state, the region, and the city.
    The region revived the project of the so-called north-south rail diameter after Brno city councilors recently rejected the construction of the so-called fast track. It was supposed to connect the old station with the new relocated position; however, according to the councilors, the fast track was not included in the zoning plan and would thus delay the railway reconstruction. It was claimed that European funds could not be obtained for it due to this issue. The diameter, according to Procházková, does not suffer from this problem.
    "It is included in both the zoning plan of the city of Brno and the region's proposal for principles of territorial development," she stated. The regional councilors are expected to approve the principles, i.e., the regional zoning plan, next year.
    The underground railway should traverse Brno from south to north. It is supposed to come from the new railway station to the current one and then stop at Moravské náměstí. Further stops should be at Konečného náměstí, Šumavská, Tererova, Královopolská, and near the technical university. The line should then connect to the railway towards Tišnov.