The Lidovci want to change the project for the reconstruction of the Brno railway

Brno - A new solution for the reconstruction of the railway, associated with the controversial relocation of the train station, has emerged in the coalition at the Brno city hall. The Christian Democrats have come up with a new proposal. After the recent collapse of the so-called fast track project, which was supposed to connect the old station with the new one, they devised some kind of connector. The old station would also be connected to the new one, but it would be less construction-intensive than the fast track, said Josef Veselý (KDU-ČSL), chairman of the city council's transport commission, to reporters today.
The plan does not appeal to the Green Party, which has returned to advocating for the reconstruction of the station in the center after the failure of the fast track. It is unlikely to gain support from the Social Democrats, the strongest coalition party. This was indicated by the statement of mayor Roman Onderka (ČSSD) today.
According to the Christian Democrats, the construction of the connector should not be demanding. Its route would pass through lands on which the railway already extends today, utilizing part of the existing tracks. Also, the necessary change in the zoning plan would not have to be significant, according to Veselý.
However, according to the mayor's deputy, Martin Ander (SZ), the connector has the same drawbacks as the fast track. The connector would also have to be incorporated into the railway reconstruction project, causing delays. Therefore, it is likely that the Social Democrats will reject it as well. "If it has the same drawback as the fast track - that is, it requires a revision of the current project, and thus it will probably cause about a five-year delay, the Social Democrats will refuse it," the mayor told ČTK.
However, the Christian Democrats argue that the project involving the relocation of the station is bad for the city and the region. It would, they say, worsen travel in Brno for 25,000 to 30,000 people who commute from the region daily. They currently alight at the train station in the center and transfer to one of the public transport lines in front of the station building. Many of them would have to travel from the new station to the old one anyway, and according to some estimates, public transport capacity and intersections would not suffice for this.
In the case of the connector's construction, according to Veselý, people from four directions - from Tišnov, Blansko, Šlapanice, and Sokolnice - could alight at the old station. Only passengers from Střelice and Rajhrad would head directly to the new station.
According to Ander, however, the direction from Rajhrad, or Břeclav, is the busiest, and the connector is thus just a somewhat less successful version of the fast track, which allowed all regional trains to stop at both the old and new stations. "For us, the fast track was the final compromise that we would be willing to accept. This is just another retreat to a complete relocation, and for us, it is not a solution," Ander stated.
The Christian Democrats' proposal indicates that the Brno coalition is divided on the issue of railway reconstruction. Since Friday, the Christian Democrats have been advocating for the connector, while the Greens and the Brno 2006 movement support a station in the center, and the Social Democrats favor relocation. According to the mayor, eight billion from European funds can only be obtained for this project, which was prepared by previous city councils led by the ODS. The total costs will exceed 20 billion CZK.
The relocation has a majority in the council - the Civic Democrats, who have been preparing it since the 90s, as well as the Communists, are long-term supporters of it. Due to European funds, the Social Democrats are also on board this year. In the past, they were supported by the Christian Democrats alongside the ODS.
The reconstruction of the Brno railway has been discussed since 2002, when the Social Democratic government approved the project, including the relocation of the station. Supporters of a central station then forced a referendum in Brno. Over 80 percent of Brno residents voted for retaining the station in the center at that time, but only a quarter of voters participated, so politicians did not have to be guided by the outcome.