People can once again use the arrival hall of the České Budějovice train station.

České Budějovice - After several months, people can once again use the arrival hall of the České Budějovice train station starting today. It was closed for repairs. This was part of a comprehensive reconstruction project of the railway station in České Budějovice, which will cost nearly 900 million crowns, started in 2020, and will finish this year. This was stated by Nela Friebová, spokesperson for the Railway Administration (SŽ).

"The reconstruction of the station building in České Budějovice has progressed to such an extent that we can now open the completed arrival hall. This will simplify access to the trains for passengers, and they will also find at least a basic range of services here. The builders will now focus on the remaining part of the building," said SŽ Director Jiří Svoboda.

In 2024, the Railway Administration will also remove the temporary ticket offices and restrooms, and will adjust some outdoor areas. There will be two entrances to the arrival hall; currently, there is one. The second will be from Lannova Street. The Railway Administration wants to connect this to the practices of several other cities, where the exit from the station leads directly to the main avenue. In České Budějovice, that is precisely the pedestrian zone on Lannova.

The renovation of the historic train station building began in June 2020. The façade, sculptural decorations in the central part of the station have been repaired, and companies are completing work on the roof. They are restoring the stucco decorations, repairing the interior plaster of the hall, and restoring coats of arms and mosaics.

The history of the building dates back to 1868. The builders had to preserve its original appearance. The building is being renovated by a consortium of companies Metrostav, Edikt, and Avers. The station in České Budějovice, whose building is listed as a monument, is one of the busiest. It serves thousands of tourists who head to Šumava and Lipno or go to raft the Vltava. Thanks to the modernization of the fourth corridor, travel time to Prague is being shortened. Express trains now cover the approximately 150-kilometer route in one hour and 40 minutes, which is a 40-minute shorter time than a few years ago. In the future, the journey by train from Prague to České Budějovice should be shortened to 90 minutes.