Research for Brno: The most acceptable is the new train station under Petrov

Brno - The highest level of acceptability - for 64 percent - among the residents of Brno is for the main railway station to be modernized under Petrov. This is a variant that would mean a new station slightly shifted from the current one towards the Malá Amerika warehouses. The riverside variant, i.e., relocating to the site of today’s lower station, has an acceptability rate of 49 percent, according to an opinion survey conducted for the Brno leadership by the Focus agency, based on a sample of about 1000 people living in Brno. The survey, whose results are available to ČTK, also included the current station, even though in the future it will not suffice for the increasing traffic, and Brno cannot do without a new station. The current station has an acceptability rate of 58 percent according to the survey.

The leadership of Brno received the results only today, and on Monday morning they will meet to have it presented by the agency. Only after that do the politicians intend to comment on the results. In the coalition agreement, there is a clause stating that they will support the station that has public support. According to Deputy Matěj Hollan (Žít Brno), the councilors should agree on how to interpret the results. However, most politicians have already presented their positions in previous days after reviewing the feasibility study prepared by the Railway Administration, which identified both variants as implementable with similar construction and operational costs. The councilors are to make a final decision on February 27.

The South Moravian Region supported the relocation of the main station to the river in January, and this week the city district council of Brno-střed expressed support for the same variant. Brno will express its opinion later. However, the decisions of the region and the city are merely recommendations to the government, which will ultimately decide on the location of the new station. According to Minister of Transport Dan Ťok (ANO), the solution for the reconstruction of the Brno railway junction is approaching the relocation of the station to the site of today’s lower freight station. After today’s meeting with the leadership of the South Moravian Region and Brno Mayor Petr Vokřál (ANO), he also said that he hopes there will be no dissatisfied groups blocking the modernization of the junction after the decision.

If people in the Focus agency survey had to lean towards just one variant, 35 percent were for the current station, 31 percent for Petrov, and 24 for relocation to the river. According to the researchers, people do not significantly prefer either variant. However, the results can also be interpreted as 66 percent of people being in favor of keeping the station close to the center. When establishing three priorities for the decision on the new station, proximity to the center was the most emphasized. According to the researchers, Petrov appears to be the most consensus-based choice.

The research indicates that a large part of the population does not prefer only one variant. More supporters of the relocation to the river would accept Petrov than the other way around. The survey also revealed that half of the people do not feel adequately informed. After being informed about the pros and cons of the variants, support for Petrov increased, while support for the relocation to the river remained the same. Among those who feel informed, 36 percent preferred the station by the river, and 31 percent preferred Petrov.

People who supported Petrov see the main advantage in proximity to the center and well-accessible public transport. They view the advantages of the riverside relocation in the modern station and ample space for construction. Supporters of Petrov also fear depopulation of the center, loss of shops and services. On the other hand, supporters of the relocation to the river are concerned about insufficient development of the city towards the southern center. The relocation to the river is unacceptable to people due to the long distance, poor accessibility, and connectivity of public transport. According to the survey, there is no strong argument against Petrov. There are concerns related to the cost and feasibility of the construction.

“The preference for the main railway station variants is, on the other hand, not statistically significantly dependent on transport behavior,” the researchers state. Only 28 percent of respondents use the train at least once a month. More than 80 percent of people use public transport when traveling to the station.

The relocation variant of the station to the river has advantages according to the SŽDC study in greater readiness and the possibility of earlier construction, thus allowing at least partial use of European funds. Disadvantages include the risk of not completing the city's transport infrastructure. The study also indicates that the station will be farther from a larger part of the city and that fewer public transport lines will go to it. The advantage of Petrov is the preservation of public transport transfer connections and lower construction and operational costs of urban infrastructure. Disadvantages include unpreparedness and uncertainty in preparation and also the limitation of railway operations during the reconstruction of the station while in operation.

Today, the Association of Passengers in Public Transport (SCVD) also presented the results of its own survey. According to it, almost 78 percent of people who commute to Brno by train prefer the new main station to be located under Petrov, i.e., close to the current location.