SŽDC will allocate 1.2 billion crowns for the repair of train station buildings next year

Prague - The Administration of Railway Transport Routes (SŽDC) wants to invest 1.2 billion crowns in investments and repairs to station buildings next year, starting with the renovation of the Fantova building at the main station in Prague. The organization intends to maintain at least the same level of costs in the following years. At the same time, the organization is looking for new sources of funding for repairs, which could bring hundreds of millions of crowns. Jiří Svoboda, the general director of the railway administration, said this today to ČTK.

The renovation of the listed Fantova building is one of the largest planned investments that the railway administration is preparing in the coming years. Work should first begin on the facade of the building, and SŽDC plans to announce a public competition for the contractor at the beginning of the year. The costs for reconstructing the exterior shell are estimated to be around 160 million crowns. The renovation of the interiors should start a year later.

However, the biggest investment next year will be the reconstruction of the station in Beroun, which is expected to cost more than 200 million crowns. Other significant investments planned in the next two years include the renovation of station buildings in Havířov, Ostrava-Vítkovice, Beroun, or Opava West. Plans for the modernization of the station in České Budějovice, which is also a listed building, are also in progress.

In the future, SŽDC's head wants to seek additional sources of money for the repair of station buildings, many of which are listed. One of the options he sees is cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and the use of its grant programs. This could also be interesting for Czech Railways, which takes care of historical trains. However, Svoboda pointed out that this form of funding would require a change in the railway law.

Another source of funding could also be finances from the operational programs of the Ministry of the Environment, aimed at energy savings in railway facilities. Overall, SŽDC could acquire hundreds of millions of crowns from these sources.

SŽDC, which employs about 17,000 people, manages both national and regional lines owned by the state. Since 2016, it has also taken care of the stations it purchased from Czech Railways.