At the Brno station, the left wing of the terminal building reopened after renovation

Brno - The left wing of the historic terminal building at Brno's main station was opened today after reconstruction. The company Brno New Station Development (BNSD), which has rented the building from Czech Railways, paid over 100 million crowns for it. Just like before in the central section, the builders removed layers from various minor adjustments over the last 50 years. In the public space, there are new benches, as well as a supermarket and snack facilities. Next year, builders will be working on the right wing. If everything goes well, the reconstruction of the entire terminal building from the first decade of the last century should be completed, said Ivo Vrzal, chairman of the BNSD board, to journalists today.

While the preparatory and design work took two years, the construction lasted seven months. "Even though we were worried due to COVID whether we would finish everything. In September and October, we had problems with the supply of metal materials and chips, but in the end, everything was completed on time," Vrzal said. The station now looks brighter and cleaner due to the lighter paint and modern lighting. At the end of the section, where a restaurant used to be, there is currently an empty space. "We will still place benches here and maybe some open retail unit," Vrzal said. At the beginning of the year, restrooms will also be added in this part.

There will no longer be a main large waiting room at the station. "Each carrier has its own waiting room and there are benches in the public space. It is also expected that some passengers will spread out into the food facilities," Vrzal said. Likewise, Czech Railways will no longer have its ČD Center here. Ticket counters have moved to the central section, and the Longue waiting room to the right wing.

A modern extension has been created in front of the left wing, which occupied the space where homeless people used to gather. It will house a café set to open in the first quarter of next year.

The right wing is expected to receive a modern facade next year, replacing the one from the socialist era. The entire interior space will undergo reconstruction, which will have a unified design, similar to the other parts of the station. There are also plans for work on part of the first platform, as well as in areas that passengers cannot access. The commercial units in the right wing will no longer offer food; Vrzal mentioned, for example, a bookstore, an optical store, or an expanded pharmacy.

If the work on the building is indeed completed next year, it will mark the culmination of nearly a decade-long effort by the Railway Administration and BNSD to transform the Brno station from decades of decline into a place that Brno residents do not have to be ashamed of and where malfunctions that restrict rail operations are not a constant threat. New platforms, signaling and safety equipment, tracks have also been introduced, and the Railway Administration has built a new building for traffic management.