Raz: Station in Stupava Should Serve as Facility Base for Trains in Future

Bratislava/Stupava, October 19 (TASR) - A station for high-speed trains could be built in Stupava near Bratislava in the future, and it should serve as a facility base for trains, Transport Minister Jozef Raz (a Smer-SD nominee) stated in a video posted on a social network, adding that the ministry plans to finance it from EU funds. Raz also denied the information that the Bratislava main station should be moved to Stupava. "The main station will remain in Bratislava, it was never planned to be moved to Stupava. The results of a feasibility study show that a new station will be built in Stupava, but it'll be a completely new station, we can call it Bratislava-West. It is a completely new project and it will have a significant positive impact on the main station in Bratislava," said Raz. According to Raz, Stupava proved to be the most advantageous location for the station, pointing out, however, that trains will continue to pass through the Main Station in Bratislava, but they will stop there only for getting out and boarding and will continue to Stupava. "The problem with the Main Station in terms of capacity is that all trains have to stop there at the end because it is the terminus. All the maintenance of trains, cleaning, switching of locomotives, all this happens today at the main station," stated Raz, adding that the station in Stupava should relieve Bratislava's Main Station from these technical breaks. Raz noted that such a project will require extensive investments in the already existing nearby lines, where high-speed trains should pass. The minister added that the railway infrastructure operator ZSR is preparing reconstruction of the Main Station in Bratislava and should shortly announce a tender for the contractor of the project documentation. am/mcs/mf