Bendl: The Orlickoústecké train station can be preserved

Ústí nad Orlicí - The historical train station building in Ústí nad Orlicí may not give way to the modernization of the railway corridor. Minister of Transport Petr Bendl (ODS) told reporters during a tour of the site today that a variant exists that allows for its preservation.
    "I don’t think it is necessary to demolish the building," said Bendl. According to the minister, it is necessary to find a meaningful use for the construction while also ensuring the technical modernization of the railway corridor.
    Nearly 15,000 people supported the preservation of the building in an online petition, and an association called Nádraží nedáme! has been formed. The investor, the Railway Infrastructure Administration (SŽDC), plans to commence construction this year. SŽDC director Jan Komárek promised today that the company would try to adjust the project so that the train station from 1874 in Ústí would remain.
    "I believe we are capable of redesigning the current project very shortly so that the start of construction won't be significantly delayed. Ultimately, it can be started with another part that would not be tied to the heart of the station," said Komárek.
    According to Komárek, there are two possibilities - either the building would remain as a dispatch building, or a new station could be built and the old structure repurposed for something else, such as a museum. The modernization of the railway line, including the construction of a new station, is expected to cost 2.4 billion crowns, and the investor wants to seek a European grant of up to fifty percent next year.
    "The demolition of the station in London in the mid-20th century sparked a huge interest in industrial and technical monuments. In our country, a similar example is the demolition of the Těšnov station, which led to the formation of volunteer associations aimed at enlightenment," said Eva Dvořáková from the National Heritage Institute.
    The classical station was designed by architect Rudolf Frey. The double-station, laid out in an H shape with stone cornices, is built of common brick, while the upper floors are made of less common half-timbering. The initiator of the petition and founder of the association Martin Kadrman hopes that today Minister Bendl sent a clear signal to all people that their initiative made sense.
    "We are ready to create an expert team and would be very glad to assist the city, the Czech Railways, and the SŽDC in deciding how to handle the building if it cannot be used for the purposes for which it was constructed," said Kadrman.