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GREAT NEWS from Polskie Koleje Państwowe: Rzeszów Główny train station regains modernist character

GREAT NEWS from Polskie Koleje Państwowe: Rzeszów Główny train station regains modernist character
photo: PKP Polskie Koleje Państwowe/GREAT NEWS from Polskie Koleje Państwowe: Rzeszów Główny train station regains modernist character
25 / 07 / 2022

The reconstruction of Rzeszów Główny railway station is an ambitious project aimed at restoring the station's modernist character and improving traveller comfort. The project is being carried out by PKP S.A. under the "Design and Build" formula, as part of the 2016-2023 Railway Station Investment Program with European Union funding from the Infrastructure and Environment Operational Program.

The investment is expected to cost PLN 22.69 million gross and is planned to be completed by the end of 2023. The first stage of construction has already begun, with the focus being mainly on demolition work in the basement of the building and the dismantling of installations. Preparatory work is also underway to strengthen the building's foundations.

The Rzeszów Główny train station will regain its uniform modernist character, which has been altered since its reconstruction in the 1960s by historicizing references to the building's 19th-century origins, which were introduced during reconstructions at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries. The changes will be seen primarily on the station's facade. The arches over the main entrance will be removed from it, and a historicizing attic with an electronic clock will be added. Window and door woodwork styled after that of the 1960s will also add a modernist character to the building. The facade cladding made of granite and sandstone will undergo renovation. The administrative part of the building will be plastered and painted in shades of grey.

In addition to restoring the station's modernist character and improving traveller comfort, the building will be fully adapted to the needs of people with disabilities by eliminating architectural barriers and introducing several improvements. Spaces related to traveller services will feature guided paths, Braille signage, tactile plans with the station name, and assistive devices for hearing aids at ticket windows. In addition to staircases, elevators will be used for communication in the building.

The interior of the building will also change its appearance, although the final design is not yet known. In the 1960s, the lobby was decorated with modernist polychrome, which may be restored if relics of it remain. If not, the two wall mosaics, currently in the station's lobby, will undergo restoration. The preservationist will make the final decision on the matter during the project. The nearly 350-square-meter lobby, which, at the same time, serves as a waiting room, will be kept in light colours, with significant access to daylight through windows located in the façade. Its ceiling is designed in the form of lamellas (decorative slats) with modern light fixtures integrated into it. The interior will also feature electronic boards for train arrivals and departures, display cases with timetables, a clock and benches equipped with ports for charging mobile devices. The eastern part of the lobby will house the ticket offices, while the rest of the space on the first floor will be occupied by retail and service spaces for rent.

A new feature in the lobby will be a staircase and elevator leading to level -1. We will get from it to the underground parking lot, which is part of the transportation centre. Also located on level -1 are toilets, rooms for rent and technical facilities of the building. And on the station's first floor, a railroad guard station and offices for railroad companies and rent.

The reconstruction of Rzeszów Główny is also an investment in ecology and safety. The station will become energy efficient thanks to the new window and door woodwork, more efficient heating equipment and air handling units with heat recovery. Lighting made with LED technology will also be energy efficient.

PKP Polskie Koleje Państwowe

The reconstruction of Rzeszów Główny station cost PLN 22.69 million gross. The investor is Polskie Koleje Państwowe S.A., and the contractor for the works carried out under the "Design and Build" formula. - Budimex S.A. The planned completion date for the investment is the end of 2023.

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