The railway station in Novi Sad, where a tragedy occurred in November when the collapse of a canopy killed 16 people, will either be demolished, reconstructed, or partially used where it is completely safe, following a structural examination of the building, stated Minister of Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure Aleksandra Sofronijević.
“As the wider public is aware, there has been a request from the Higher Court in Novi Sad for an extension, or rather an amendment, to the indictment, and that amended investigative procedure is still ongoing. Parallel to that, we have a ban on entering the station building, and parallel to that, an order has been given to examine the overall structural integrity of the station building in Novi Sad,” the minister told Tanjug when asked about the current situation with the Railway Station building.
She noted that a physical examination of the building’s structural integrity is not yet possible due to the ban on entering the station building.
As she explained, until all issues are resolved, the station building remains in status quo, without the possibility of entry and complete structural inspection of the existing building.
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Potential Paths Forward
“With the aim of re-establishing traffic, some solution variants are being considered, and everything will depend on the findings of experts regarding the building’s current condition. Solutions will be sought once the official report is received on what we can do with that building. Whether it’s for demolition, or for reconstruction, which we cannot know at this moment. However, some other solutions are also being considered, which is that the part that is completely safe, which is the platform area with a passage under the corridor, could perhaps be used as a stop when the two countries (Serbia and Hungary) agree to launch (the high-speed railway) into passenger traffic within a certain period,” said Sofronijević.
That, she added, is an undisputed part, but there are also other proposals. All proposals will be considered, and the safest and highest quality solution will be chosen, the minister stated.
When asked when the high-speed railway from Novi Sad to Subotica would be opened, she said that the construction of the railway, concerning the superstructure and substructure, is complete. She added that the railway will be opened once all station buildings are checked, or perhaps only the railway itself without all stations, which could happen as early as the next month to a month and a half.
She noted that the opening of the railway will also depend on coordination with Hungary, which is completing its section.
“We are all aware of how difficult and great the tragedy was that happened last year in Novi Sad, and that, of course, halted the commissioning of this section from Novi Sad to Subotica. The physical realization of that railway, concerning the superstructure and substructure, is 100 percent complete. There is nothing more to do there. As for the station buildings, after this tragedy that occurred, an order was given to check all station buildings, and that procedure is currently underway,” the minister stated.
She emphasized that a new Vrbas Nova station building has also been constructed, which she described as truly commendable, very beautiful, modern, and equipped with all necessary amenities for passengers to spend their time comfortably until their departure, while other stations along that route are currently being checked.
“I hope that these works will be completed within the next 10 to 15 days, as a company has already been engaged to carry out these checks, and depending on their findings, either some works will be undertaken, or we will receive a report that they are completely safe and secure in a constructive sense, so they will also be able to be included in the occupancy permit,” Sofronijević concluded.
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Source: Sputnik, Foto: N1