- Small and large reconstruction of Bratislava’s Main Station begins.
- The small renovation will focus on the renewal of social facilities and accessibility.
- The major reconstruction will begin at the end of 2027, the work will last for years.
- There will be no restrictions on train traffic, the operation of the station will be maintained.
- The costs will be in millions of euros, and the European Commission has also promised financing.
Preparatory work should start in April, followed by construction work as part of a small renovation. She’s looking it mainly concerns social facilities that are in a state of emergency, or connecting tracts. At the same time, starting this week, project work on a major renovation will begin. The start of these works is estimated at the turn of 2027 and 2028. He informed about it at Monday’s press conference Minister of Transport Jozef Ráž (nom. Direction-SD) a Director General of Railways SR Miroslav Garaj.
“The result will be a new dress for this Main Station in the dimension we know it in. That is to say that we don’t have to expect any visual changes other than that it will be new, clean, beautiful, functional and in accordance with standards and hygiene requirements. Let’s add to that barrier-free access and connecting the exit and the entrance,” stated Ráž.
The so-called the small renovation is aimed at solving the long-criticized state of the sanitary facilities and barrier-free movement in the building. New toilets should be built on the first above-ground floor and those in the basement should be completely renovated. Within the toilets, a specialized room for people with reduced mobility is also to be created.
One of the most significant interventions is supposed to be a new connection between the building’s tracts, which will allow passengers from the arrival tunnel to get directly to the main hall without having to go around the building through the exterior. At the same time, the staircase at the entrance from Žabotová street should be expanded and a temporary barrier-free ramp added. According to estimates, the works should be completed by the end of this year.
From Tuesday (February 24), project work on the so-called major reconstruction. These works should last around ten months, at the beginning of 2027, work on public procurement for a construction contractor should begin. ŽSR estimates the start of the actual implementation at the end of 2027, or at the turn of 2027 and 2028. The works are to concern the original building of the station, including its extension. The works are also consulted with preservationists. The interior, including the floors, soffits and facade with glazing, is to undergo a change so that, among other things, the station is illuminated.
“I am very pleased that we are approaching the beginning of the works, whether small, or subsequently also large, on the building of the current Main Station. The main station really deserves an improvement in the comfort of the facilities and an increase in security,” he noted Garage.
The costs of the reconstruction are estimated at several tens of millions of euros, it is currently not possible to specify them according to the department of transport or railways. They will depend on specific project works and the decisions of preservationists. However, according to the minister, there is a promise from the European Commission that they could be largely financed from European funds.
At the same time, the construction work will take place during the full operation of the station itself, the number of trains, whether departing, ending or transiting, will not be limited. However, passengers will have to expect certain restrictions, as some parts of the station will be reserved for demolition and subsequent construction work. In the future, the reconstruction of platforms and tracks is also planned, but according to the railways, this is a ten to 20 year horizon.
At the same time, the Minister of Transport assures that the Main Station will forever be a central station, as its capacity is sufficient for the future as well. In Stupava, only facilities for trains are expected, where, for example, they will be cleaned and similar. The reconstruction of the Main Station in Bratislava has been talked about for several years. One of the proposals also included the intention of the developer or the connection of reconstruction works with the restoration of Predstaničné Square.
