The reconstruction of the Karlovy Vary railway station will be delayed

Karlovy Vary - The renovation of the dilapidated Upper Train Station in Karlovy Vary into a modern service center for travelers will be delayed by half a year. Construction work was supposed to begin this June. However, a static survey showed that the station building is in poor condition. The restoration of the upper station and its surroundings will therefore only take place next year. Builders will have more work than planned, today's Mladá fronta Dnes (MfD) reports in the regional supplement.
    The originally provisional building from 1945 is much more damaged than expected. The investor, the company Grandi Stazioni, even considered demolishing it. In the end, only one part of the building will be demolished, said Vladimir Omelka from the passenger transport and freight department of Czech Railways to MfD.
    The delay was also confirmed by the spokesperson of Grandi Stazioni, Martin Hamšík. "We cannot afford the risk of intervening in the building and discovering further problems. We have to do the reconstruction properly," he explained. A small part of the object currently serving as a waiting room will be demolished. "It will be replaced by a completely new check-in hall. It will be larger and will much better reflect the significance of the station in Karlovy Vary," he added.
    As part of the ČD Live Stations project, the station in Mariánské Lázně is also to be repaired besides Karlovy Vary. This project is the furthest along in legislative and construction terms. The building authority in Mariánské Lázně has already issued the building permit.
    However, complications have also arisen in the case of the Mariánské Lázně station. "An application for a change in the building permit has been submitted. Costs have turned out to be higher; savings are being sought," said the chief manager of the transport routes management in K. Vary, František Vlach. The changes to the permit concern internal modifications. According to Vlach, the original budget was higher. Therefore, the investor has given up some modifications of spaces that nobody needs. The expected savings will be ten million crowns.
    The total investment of Grandi Stazioni in both spa towns is expected to be around 100 million crowns. Grandi Stazioni will rent the stations in Karlovy Vary and Mariánské Lázně for 30 years after the completion of the constructions. Modernization, while maintaining continuous operations, is expected to last a year and a half to two years.
    The station in Sokolov is also set to be modernized. Here, Czech Railways is preparing it in cooperation with the local municipality. Part of the station will disappear, and in its place, a modern transport terminal will be created. ČD will renovate the station building, platforms, and build overpasses. The project is completed. If the city receives the required subsidies, construction may start next year.