The railways changed their decision: The station in Havířov will be demolished

Havířov (Karvinsko) - The Supervisory Board of Czech Railways (ČD) changed its December verdict on Thursday and decided to revive the halted project for the construction of a new transport terminal in Havířov, Karvinsko. This was confirmed to ČTK today by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Transport, Tomáš Neřold. Due to the terminal, the current station building built in Brussels style is to be demolished, against which a group of architects is protesting. The Association of Associations for the Protection and Development of Cultural Heritage of the Czech Republic (ASORKD) informed about the change of decision by ČD.
    "The Supervisory Board agreed in the meeting that terminating the contract with Havířov would be very complicated and would cause financial losses. Therefore, it revoked its previous position and decided to continue negotiations regarding the new transport terminal project," said Neřold. He stated that the decision is in line with the opinion of the new Minister of Transport Antonín Prachař.
    Last December, the railways announced that they had withdrawn from the project. The then Minister of Transport in resignation Zdeněk Žák, who was against the demolition of the station building, already said in September that the railways currently do not have the money to demolish the building and to build a new transport terminal. "They requested a European grant of 70 percent, of which only 40 percent was approved," Žák stated at that time.
    The spokesperson of the Havířov Magistrate, Eva Wojnarová, told ČTK today that the city has not yet received any information about the new decision. The leadership of Havířov had previously pointed out that they fear losing the European grant of 85 million crowns approved for the construction of the transport terminal and also more than three million crowns that the city invested in preparing the project. The construction cost of the terminal was estimated at around 200 million crowns.
    According to information from ČTK, one of the reasons for the December withdrawal from the project was also the fact that the Havířov station is to be transferred to the Administration of Railway Transport within a foreseeable time. "The money that the railways invest in the reconstruction of the station will be taken into account by the state in the future with any transfer of property outside the ownership of the Czech Railways," said Neřold today.
    Vice President of the Heritage Association ASORKD Martin J. Kadrman stated that this week, two days before the Supervisory Board's vote, the railways asked the railway office for consent to demolish the building. "Thursday's vote was therefore just a formality," Kadrman stated in a press release. Recent events, according to him, resemble the pressure of lobbying groups.
    "Of course, we will continue along our line in the two-year effort and I believe that we will eventually convince the Minister and the leadership of ČD that the economically and socially responsible solution is not the demolition and construction of a new terminal, but the reconstruction of the existing building, including reducing its energy intensity and subsequent use for commercial and socially beneficial purposes," stated Lucie Chytilová, chairwoman of the Havířov association Důl architektury, which is striving to save the train station.
    The construction of the transport terminal is a joint project of the city and ČD. According to information from the town hall, the railways were to take care of the reconstruction of the station building, while the city was to address the modification of the space in front of the station. The terminal is to connect rail, bus, and personal transport, with a space for bus stops and a large parking lot adjacent to the train station.
    Havířov councilors approved the project in June 2011. According to the original plans, the construction of the terminal was to begin in 2013 and be completed this year.