The state is set to invest over 1.5 billion crowns in the train station in Ústí

ÚSTÍ NAD LABEM - The Ministry of Transport plans to invest more than 1.5 billion Czech korunas this year and over the next two years in the renovation of the train station in Ústí nad Labem and the modernization of the railway junction. The station, along with shops and services, and the repaired surroundings are expected to increase the attractiveness of the Ústí Region for new investors and enhance the image of railway transport in the eyes of the public, according to Minister of Transport Milan Šimonovský.
Šimonovský, the representative of the Ministry for Regional Development, the governor of the Ústí Region Jiří Šulc, and the mayor of Ústí, Petr Gandalovič, will sign a memorandum of cooperation on the reconstruction of the station this Friday in Ústí nad Labem, the Ministry of Transport spokeswoman Marcela Žižková informed CTK today. A group will be formed to coordinate the activities of the individual participants.
This year, the state allocated 300 million Czech korunas from the State Fund for Transport Infrastructure for the modernization of the railway junction in Ústí. For next year, according to Žižková, an amount of 466 million Czech korunas is planned, and in 2007, the investment is expected to be around 800 million Czech korunas.
Czech Railways has already selected candidates for the construction of a commercial center in Ústí. Companies will operate under the railway tracks in the regional city. The development will also affect the surroundings of the station, which is why a memorandum of cooperation is being signed according to Šimonovský.
In return for revitalizing the spaces, private investors will pay lower rents in the coming years. A wide underpass will be created under the renovated main station building in Ústí, providing space for shops, services, and relaxation. The shopping center is expected to connect to the upgraded banks of the Elbe River. The city hall would like to build a parking lot for 100 cars here and ensure barrier-free connectivity between the center and the Ústí district of Střekov.
According to Šimonovský, transforming stations into commercial centers is one way to increase the competitiveness of Czech Railways. From 2007, all carriers will have access to the tracks. In the Ústí Region, the project called Live Stations will also be implemented in Teplice, Chomutov, Most, and Lovosice. The project concerns more than 60 stations throughout the republic.