Plzeň main railway station

Plzeň main railway station (Cz: Plzeň hlavní nádraží, abbreviated Plzeň hl.n.) is the principal railway station in Pilsen, the largest city in western Bohemia. The station was opened in 1862, together with the Czech Western Railway from Prague to Pilsen. The station has six platforms for train transport and one platform for buses. There are also tram and trolleybus stops. The station is electrified.

Pilsen main railway station Plzeň hlavní nádraží (in Czech)
The main entrance
Location	Plzeň, Nádražní 9 Czech Republic
Owned by	Czech Railways (České dráhy) Správa železnic
Platforms	6
Connections	Pilsen Tramway, Pilsen Trolleybuses
Construction
Architect	Rudolf Štech
Other information
Station code	54732750
History
Opened	1862
Rebuilt	1907
Electrified	yes
Services
Preceding station   Czech Railways   Following station Stříbro toward Františkovy Lázně   Supercity Pendolino   Praha-Smíchov toward Bohumín Holýšov toward Munich   Arriva-Länderbahn-Express   Praha-Smíchov toward Prague Stříbro toward Cheb   Regional fast trains   Rokycany toward Prague Plzeň zastávka toward Železná Rudá–Alžbětín     Terminus   Regional fast trains   Nepomuk toward České Budějovice Plzeň–Jižní předměstí toward Domažlice, Stříbro or Bezdružice   Stopping trains   Terminus Plzeň zastávka toward Železná Rudá–Alžbětín     Terminus   Stopping trains   Plzeň–Bílá Hora toward Žatec or Rakovník     Plzeň–Doubravka toward Beroun     Plzeň–Koterov toward Nepomuk

History

Pilsen main railway station

The current building of the Pilsen main railway station was opened in 1907. It is an art nouveau building designed by Rudolf Štech. Rudolf Štech also co-financed construction of the railway building and due to debt, he committed suicide in 1908.

On April 17, 1945, the building was heavily damaged during the bombing of Pilsen by the US Army Air Forces. The bombing killed 347 people inside the station building. After World War II the building was reconstructed to its original state.

In the 1950s the building was renamed as Pilsen Gottwald station (Cz: Plzeň Gottwaldovo nádraží) in honor of the first Czechoslovak communist president Klement Gottwald. In the 1960s, the station was electrified. After the Velvet Revolution the station regained its original name.

Since 2000 the building is a Czech cultural heritage site.[1]

In 2012, the interiors of the station building were partially reconstructed.[2] In 2013 the first underpass for pedestrians was extended to connect Železniční street and Šumavská street with the station building. In the years 2016–2018, the platforms were reconstructed to height of 550 mm (21.7 in). In December 2018, a bus terminal was opened next to the train station. There is a newly built second underpass, which connects the bus terminal with platforms. In the years 2021–2023, a major reconstruction of the station building is planned.[3]

Train services

Pilsen is an important centre of Czech railway transport, with the crossing of five main railway lines:

• line Nr. 170: Prague – Beroun – Pilsen – Cheb
• line Nr. 180: Pilsen – Domažlice – Furth im Wald (Germany)
• line Nr. 183: Pilsen – Klatovy – Železná Ruda
• line Nr. 160: Pilsen – Žatec
• line Nr. 190: Pilsen – České Budějovice

Local transport

Bus terminal

The station is served by tram lines 1 and 2. There are also numerous trolleybus lines near the station.

References

1. "Pilsen main station is the most photographed railway station on postcards" at zeleznicar.cd.cz (in Czech)
2. "The partial reconstruction of the Pilsen Main Railway Station building has been completed" at plzensky-kraj.cz (in Czech)
3. "The mayor reconstruction of the Pilsen Main Railway Station building will begin in spring 2021." at zdopravy.cz (in Czech)