The building of the train station in Havířov will not be demolished for now

Prague/Havířov (Karviná) - The train station building in Havířov will not be demolished for now, as Czech Railways does not have the funds for it. This follows information from the crisis management team meeting created due to the Havířov transport terminal. According to previously approved plans, the new transport terminal was supposed to be built on the site of the station building. On Wednesday's crisis team meeting, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Transport, Tomáš Neřold, informed ČTK today.
     The preservation of the station was advocated by a group of architects. However, their proposal for the Havířov station to become a cultural monument was rejected by the Ministry of Culture in June. The building was therefore supposed to start being demolished this fall. "The commission will deal with adjustments to the project to ensure that the existing station building is preserved while the construction of the transport terminal can begin," stated Minister of Transport Zdeněk Žák, who initiated the establishment of the team.
    According to the minister, Czech Railways currently does not have the funds to demolish the building and build a new transport terminal. "They applied for an EU grant of 70 percent, but they were approved for only 40 percent. And that is probably the reason why the management of the railways decided to preserve the station building," Žák added. In the past, Czech Railways collaborated with the city on the project of the new Havířov transport terminal for 160 million crowns, which the station building would have to give way to.
    The spokesperson for the Ministry of Transport stated that Czech Railways will now look for an alternative way to connect the station to the planned transport terminal. "All steps will be consulted with partners, the city of Havířov, and the Regional Operational Program Moravskoslezsko. The use of European funds is also still anticipated," he added. The next crisis team meeting is tentatively scheduled for the first half of October.
    According to plans approved by Havířov city councilors in June two years ago, construction of the new terminal was supposed to begin this year and be completed next year. The terminal was meant to connect train, bus, and personal transport. City representatives in the past called the train station structure bulky and oversized, claiming that a significantly smaller building would suffice for passengers.