At the main train station in Plzeň, the upper hall is completed, everything will be in operation from June 6th

Plzen - In the heritage-protected building of the main railway station in Plzen, which reopened to the public in January after a billion-crown reconstruction, builders today completely opened the upper hall. The first to operate there is the fast food restaurant KFC, the first at railway stations in the Czech Republic, with more openings in the coming days. On the upper floor, where daylight streams in through the newly glazed roof, there are restrooms, benches, and information panels displaying train and bus departures from the adjacent terminal. Everything will be fully operational by June 6, said Radek Makovec, regional director of the investor's Railway Administration (SŽ), to ČTK. In total, there will be 16 commercial establishments on the ground floor, in the upper hall, and in front of the building.

"At the ceremonial ribbon-cutting in January, we opened the lower hall for passengers because it was winter, and we wanted people to have a place to be and for the building not to be closed. Construction and renovation work continued, with completion planned for June 6," said Makovec.

As of today, the upper hall is complete. "All units have already been handed over to tenants, and they are customizing them according to their concepts," he stated. Gradually, a bookstore, café, bakery, Asian grocery store, and a small "beer bar" with draft beers will appear at the corner, in the former beer window location. Today, the interior of the lower hall has also been completed, including frescoes and decorative elements.

Most commercial units in the lower hall and in front of the main entrance to the building, which is still closed as restorers finish the sculptures, are also ready. Until May, entry to the building will only be via side entrances from Šumavská and Železniční streets. In the lower hall, there are already a pizzeria, grocery and newsstand, fast food options, and in front of the station, there is a municipal police station, a florist, and a barber shop.

The building will be closed only at night from 01:30 to 03:45, from the arrival of the last train from Prague until the departure of the first connection to the metropolis. Shops will operate from morning until late at night.

The main station, built in the Renaissance and Art Nouveau styles in 1907, which is among the architectural landmarks of Plzen, has been under renovation for almost three years. The entire facility, which sees up to 20,000 people daily, has a new roof, facade, interiors including windows and doors, and improved services. Escalators leading from the entrance to the upper hall have been complemented by elevators. "New are the ticket counters on the ground floor, modern public restrooms, offices, and sleeping quarters for railway workers, as well as departure boards in both the main and upper halls," said the main construction engineer of SŽ, Petr Toman. A surveillance system with direct monitoring is being completed throughout the facility.

In recent years, the extensive rail yard of the main station underwent a complete modernization costing billions of crowns.