The leadership of Brno will conduct a public opinion survey regarding the train station

Brno - The leadership of Brno will have a public opinion survey conducted before making a decision on the location of the train station. The final answer has been postponed from the end of January to February, said Matěj Hollan (Žít Brno), the deputy mayor, to ČTK. The regional council of South Moravia plans to publish its position on Monday.

The main train station in Brno has long been allowed to "age," with the expectation that a new station would be operational by now. Therefore, in the last five years, the current station has undergone significant renovations. Although discussions about relocating it a kilometer to the south have been ongoing for nearly 100 years, the opposition's voice has been so strong in the last 20 years that construction has not yet commenced. They demand the preservation of the station near the city center, and a feasibility study has shown that it is possible and not absolutely necessary to move it. A decision from the city and the region is expected soon, which will then be followed by the Ministry of Transport.

The Railway Infrastructure Administration (SŽDC) published a feasibility study at the end of October, and since then, interest groups and politicians have expressed their opinions, making the topic a means of political struggle once again.

The Brno coalition is postponing the decision deadline by several weeks due to a clause in the coalition agreement that states it will prefer the option that has public support. The city's leadership will provide details on the survey and further developments on Tuesday. Only after the region and city express their opinions will the Ministry of Transport and the government address the solution. The main investor for the construction, estimated at over 40 billion crowns, will be the state.

The SŽDC study stated that both options for the location of the station are technically feasible, and each has its advantages and disadvantages. For the relocated option, there is greater preparedness and the possibility of starting construction about six years earlier. On the other hand, the biggest risk is that the city infrastructure may not be completed in time. The main risk for the station in the center is its unpreparedness. The station is not included in any spatial plan. However, an advantage is good transport connections to the public transport system. The study indicates that the station will be more accessible from most areas of Brno and served by a larger number of lines if situated in the center.

An unresolved issue is the high-speed rail lines. While it is discussed that a separate underground station and a system of tunnels under the western part of Brno would need to be built for the center station, there is still no feasibility study for high-speed rail in the Czech Republic. "It is therefore necessary to technically, spatially, and operationally evaluate other alternatives for integrating high-speed lines and then assess their advantages compared to the solutions considered in the feasibility study," state the authors of the study.

The Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Association of Brno Architects and Builders have expressed support for the relocated option. The Chamber emphasizes the possibility of an earlier construction with the potential for European subsidies. It also mentions a cheaper station, albeit only concerning the currently unresolved integration with the high-speed lines. Without them, the costs are comparable. According to them, Brno's accessibility will also improve. The Association makes similar arguments, also considering advantageous the increased costs the city must incur for infrastructure, as it will help better develop the so-called Southern Center. Similar arguments are used by the Brno+ Association led by former deputy mayor Robert Kotzian (formerly ODS). Conversely, the non-profit organization Děti Země has long advocated for the station in the center, having fought against its relocation for many years.

Preferences among Brno residents were indicated by referendums in 2004 and 2016. In both instances, a crushing majority of voters wanted the station in the center, with about a quarter of eligible voters participating each time.