The Railway Administration is renovating the listed railway station building in Pilsen

Plzeň - The Railway Administration (SŽ) has started a comprehensive renovation of the listed departure building of the Plzeň main railway station for 668 million crowns. The work is expected to last for 2.5 years, SŽDC spokesperson Nela Friebová told ČTK.

"The construction follows the modernization of platforms and other parts of the station that took place in previous years. The main focus will be the total reconstruction of the departure building from 1908. It will primarily include repairs to the roof and the facade, as well as modifications to the interior spaces on the ground floor and the upper level of the concourse to improve services for passengers," said SŽ General Director Jiří Svoboda.

The builders will remodel the upper hall, which will serve as a waiting area with a commercial passage. "The building will receive a new roof and facade, all with an emphasis on its heritage protection," the spokesperson stated. Internal systems, windows, and doors will be replaced, reducing energy consumption. An administrative operating background for SŽ and carriers will be established. The state company will build escalators and elevators between the main and upper halls and remodel public restrooms. The main hall will have new lighting and cameras.

"From our perspective, the cooperation with the Railway Administration is good. Wherever they are conducting track renovations, they are also addressing railway buildings. And especially where the region is collaborating with cities to create transfer terminals," said Deputy Governor for Transport Pavel Čížek (STAN). The region is the main client of public transport. The most important center is Plzeň, where a terminal was established 2.5 years ago. Similar station renovations are planned, for example, in Nepomuk and Blovice, where cities and the region are building transfer terminals.

Last month, the city of Plzeň renovated the area by the side entrance to the station, next to the bus terminal, for 25 million crowns. It constructed the Hamburg Platform, a twelve-meter observation tower, staying stairs, benches, and terraces, refreshment stands, and an information center. The side entrance from Šumavská Street has been busier for several years than the main entrance with parking.

SŽ has announced a tender for a company to renovate another listed railway building in Plzeň-Jih, the second largest and busiest station in the city towards Domažlice and Cheb. The construction, costing up to 95 million crowns, is expected to start this October and will last two years. The building, which opened in 1921, will have its roof and facade repaired, windows and doors replaced, outdated systems renovated, and publicly accessible spaces adjusted. A new elevator to the platform, public restrooms, and an information system will be installed.

This year, SŽ plans to renovate or repair 114 departure buildings at stations in the Czech Republic for over two billion crowns. By the end of June, 28 had been completed, including those in the Plzeň Region, such as Horažďovice, Žihli, Sušice, Kolinec, Nýrsko, and Blovice. Construction work continues in Pačejov, and in the second half of the year, renovations will begin on buildings in Horšovský Týn and Kdyně in the Domažlice region, as well as in Přeštice and Mladotice in the Plzeň region. All projects are scheduled to be completed in the first half of 2022.