Grandi Stazioni lost its 30-lease of Prague’s main train station after failing to complete a general renovation of the complex by this month. The Czech national railway manager (SŽDC) announced this week it will not extend the lease. The contract, signed with Czech Railways in 2003, entitled the Italian company to lease commercial space at the main train station for an additional 30 years after it finished renovating the building and the art nouveau Fanta cafe.
After SŽDC took over the station from Czech Railways, it refused to sign an amendment to the contract giving Grandi Stazioni an additional two years to complete the reconstruction of the station’s Fanta cafe. SŽDC spokeswoman Kateřina Šubová said signing the amendment would contradict the concession law. Grandi Stazioni started renovating the building in 2006 and completed it in four years, investing CZK 1.2bn in the process. Reconstruction of Fanta cafe would cost an additional CZK 200m.
