The Railway Administration will repair the station building of Ostrava-Vítkovice

Ostrava – The Railway Administration will have the dispatch building of the railway station in the Ostrava district of Vítkovice repaired, which was declared a cultural monument in 2020. It is expected to be used by the labor office. This was reported today by the server Zdopravy.cz. Once an important transportation hub, it has lost significance after the decline of industry. The building, constructed in the Brussels style, is thus deteriorating.

The building ranks among the peak works of architect Josef Danda. The work will include the reconstruction of the outer shell, new layout of the interior disposition of the building, and external modifications of the area in front of the station. Their commencement is expected in the second half of next year, with total estimated costs exceeding 400 million crowns.

The station is located on the so-called Polanecká connection, which links the railway stations Svinov and Kunčice in Ostrava, continuing to Český Těšín. In the first decades of its operation, the station was a significant transport hub. Thousands of people used it daily, heading to work in heavy industry. However, it is oversized for the needs of the current railway and has been deteriorating for years. In 2020, the Ministry of Culture declared the dispatch building a cultural monument.

Its future function has been discussed for years. Plans included establishing a transport museum, a shopping center, and most recently, a detached workplace of the General Financial Directorate. The project is now being prepared so that the Czech Labor Office can utilize about half of the reconstructed building.

The ticket office, waiting room for passengers, and public toilets will be located on the level of the first platform after the building's reconstruction, as it used to be in the past. There are plans for the installation of an elevator, an access ramp, as well as storage boxes. The area of the reconstructed vestibule will be designed as commercial space and offered for lease.

In the administrative wing, spaces for technology and operations management staff will be preserved. Project documentation for a joint construction permit is currently being prepared, and the Railway Administration intends to apply for its issuance this year.