The renovation of the entire roof structure of Nyugati Railway Station has reached another milestone, the spire of the tower next to track 13, has been raised into place, MÁV announced in a statement. The installation of new glass and the renovation of the spires from the towers on the corners towards Teréz körút and Nyugati tér is also in underway. The shipping-container-based ticket offices that will handle sales while the ticket offices of the station undergo renovation have also been placed. Found behind the Government Administration Office, they will open in mid-January. 

The first similar milestone of the project was reached when the spite of the left-side tower of the main hall was raised back onto its 19-metre-high foundations in the autumn, the right-side tower now also has its spire again. Moving from Teréz Boulevard, the glazing works of the roof are also heavily underway. The corrugated and weathered elements of the structure are being replaced, and decorative room elements put in place.

The second, renovated spire of the Western Railway Station (Photo: MÁV)

A less spectacular, but essential part of the work is the demolition of the roof structures of the four small towers at the corners towards Teréz Boulevard and Nyugati Square. Smaller elements are being removed from these structures in pieces, and being rebuilt anew.

In addition to the renovation of the hall, MÁV will carry out further modernisation and renovation between 19 June and 17 July 2021 to offer better quality,  more comfortable services and a cleaner environment and an improved passenger information system when the hall reopens at the end of the summer. Similar to the modernisations carried out in the Keleti Railway Station last year, a new passenger information system will be built in the hall, and all information boards will be standardized.

The platforms of the station are being replaced, damaged or missing glass replaced, and the surfaces cleared of graffiti. New and renovated, uniform benches and platform furniture will be installed. Marble and stone pavings, parapets, and railings are also being repaired. The station will be easily accessible via a ramp from Teréz Boulevard, and MÁV-START will install 27 ticket machines at the station in 2021. Maintenance is also being carried out on the tracks and overhead power lines. The roofs of platforms and stormwater channels are set to be replaced.

The installation of new panes of glass and the renovation of the roof structure are underway (Photo: MÁV)

Structural cracks were discovered during the renovation of the roof, as well as severe corrosion of drainage channels, which soaked the walls. Patched repairs would not lead to a permanent solution. The entire 1,210-square-metre area of the interior walls will also be renovated. Other technical anomalies were discovered as well. The plinth stones were so eroded in places that they had to be completely replaced on 280 square metres. Rainwater also destroyed the doors and windows, which is why 77 windows and doors must be restored. These will be repainted to their original brown colour. Historical monument conservation officials are involved in all renovations.

The railway station under renovation in August this year (Photo: MÁV)

Previously, the overhead power lines of the tracks running into the hall were replaced. Temporary buffers were installed at the entrance to on tracks 10–13 to allow the external portions of these platforms to be used during the renovation. A scaffold filling 70,000 cubic metres was built in the hall. While a 7,000-square-metre safety net protects passengers and workers, and two tower cranes support the work.

Source: MÁV

Cover photo: The second, renovated spire of the Western Railway Station (Photo: MÁV)