The state will renovate the Main Train Station in Prague, new pavilions will be built on the roof

Prague - The Czech Railways Administration is preparing modifications to the roof of the Main Train Station in Prague, where new pavilions and a crossing from the parking lot over the main road will be created, among other things. Jiří Svoboda, the general director of the Railways Administration, told the server E15.cz. According to the server, the modifications will cost hundreds of millions of crowns and could begin in 2022. The city leadership supports the changes, but discussions regarding the final form of the modifications will still take place with the administration.

Currently, there is only a parking lot on the roof of the underground ticketing hall of the station. According to Svoboda, it is intended to be replaced in the future by a park connecting to the Vrchlického Gardens around the station. "The place deserves to be calmed down; we want to shield it from the main road, for example, with greenery," he told the server.

According to a study commissioned by the Railways Administration, two new pavilions connected by escalators with the ticketing hall would be built on the roof. These would include cafés, refreshments, and amenities for travelers. The space between the pavilions would be paved and arranged with trees, tables, and chairs. The study also anticipates a wide crossing between the roof of the ticketing hall and the opposite Fantova building over the main road, which has six lanes at that point.

However, the Railways Administration must agree on the modifications with the city hall. The ticketing hall belongs to the administration, but the areas on the roof are already under the management of the municipal organization Technical Administration of Communications. According to the server, the Railways Administration is trying to negotiate for the roof areas to also belong to the railways.

According to the server, city officials are positively inclined towards the changes around the main train station. "The park choice is appropriate; I support it," said Petr Hlaváček, the deputy mayor (for TOP 09), to E15.cz. "The park must be coordinated with the tram line. We need to connect the tram from Wenceslas Square and Vinohradská Street to Washington Street and the park in front of the station," he added.

The modifications were also supported by the city's Institute of Planning and Development of Prague. "The roof, serving as an amenity for travelers, should be connected at the same level to the historic building, the park, and the interior spaces. The roof also includes amenities for taxis and K+R (short stop areas for cars at the station, note of the editor)," said the institute's spokesperson Marek Vácha to the server.