At the Plzeň train station, the demolition of the pavement has begun, the repair of the building is coming to an end

Photo: Norbert Aepli

Plzeň - Today, the demolition of the paving began in the entire entrance hall of the main train station in Plzeň. The replacement will take six weeks and will necessitate the closure of the main entrance starting Tuesday. The replicas of the historical paving are very special; their handmade production took almost half a year. According to the manufacturer, the new paving is supposed to last another 120 years, said the spokesperson of Czech Railways (ČD), Radka Pistoriusová.
    The replacement of the paving is the last stage of the renovation of the more than 100-year-old station building, which will cost a total of 20 million CZK.
    "The main entrance will be closed until April 2, by which time the paving in the center of the hall will be laid. Then, by early May, the paving in both the left and right parts will be replaced. In total, it involves an area of 700 square meters," the spokesperson said. Thus, the renovation of the building will be completely finished by the end of May.
    The current paving is original from 1907 and has survived wartime air raids. According to Pistoriusová, it is no longer as colorful and is slippery. "The new one will be handcrafted by the company HANIŠ from Hradec Králové. First, precise molds will be created, into which the material will be poured by hand piece by piece. Precise pouring of the material into the molds ensures the coloring of the tiles to depth and guarantees color durability of the patterns for 120 years, even under extreme loads and frequency of use," she added. In the upper hall, which was painted five years ago, the original paving is no longer present, so only some parts will be changed there.
    "The closure of the main entrance is a certain complication, but passengers will still be able to access the hall, ticket counters, and it will not restrict access to the trains in any way," said the head of the Plzeň region of ČD, Vladimír Kostelný.
    The renovation of the monumentally protected Art Nouveau building, which began last May, will be completed six months ahead of schedule. The replacement or refurbishment of windows is done, and it has been painted with period stucco elements. On the eastern side, where refreshment stalls used to stand, there is new paving. The northern, southern, and western sides of the building now have a new facade at the level of the first floor, and the eastern facade has been completely repaired. The main western facade was given a new facade back in 1995.
    Czech Railways does not have enough money for a complete reconstruction of the station building, which would cost at least 700 million CZK. After years of fruitless searches, they have stopped looking for a strategic partner to restore the station and have decided to gradually revitalize it themselves according to their financial capabilities.
    This month, another state company, the Railway and Transport Administration, began a reconstruction of the railway junction at the station, which is part of the corridor being built from Prague to Cheb. The first phase will involve the section to Domažlice and Cheb, which will include 1400 meters of new platforms and underpasses. From 2013 to 2015, the next phase will follow in the western part towards Prague, and the station will also undergo reconstruction.