A lawsuit may block the modernization of Bratislava’s main train station until 2056. The investor, Transprojekt, was not able to complete the ambitious project on time and asked the city to extend the contract by an additional five years. The city refused to do so and is now waiting for the contract to expire at the end of this year. The investor warns it will sue the city, claiming city leaders have been blocking preparation of the project since 1998, when Transprojekt first signed the contract. The lawsuit could potentially block the modernization until 2056, as the investor owns some of the strategic plots at the station and leases some other plots from the national railway operator ŽSR under a contract that expires in 2056.
The investor planned to rebuild the main train station and the square in front and create a modern transport hub worth €232.3m (SKK 7bn). Work was supposed to get underway in 2005 to connect the underground railway station with the city transport system. The scheme also includes a hotel with 500 beds, two office buildings and the largest shopping center in Slovakia.
