On 19-20 March 2024, the Station Managers Global Group (SMGG) plenary meeting was hosted by Správa železnic, the national railway infrastructure manager, in Prague, Czech Republic. Discussions over the two days successfully examined the future challenges of the sector.

Day 1 involved a technical visit to Prague Central Railway Station. The historic building is among the most significant Art Nouveau monuments in the Czech Republic. Designed by Josef Fanta, the station includes a magnificent domed entrance hall and a splendid cafe – the Fantova kavárna. Travellers can set off to major European cities such as Rome, Paris, Budapest, Prague, Vienna, Moscow, and Berlin.

The majestic wings of the building are decorated with Alfonse Mucha’s extraordinary series of paintings narrating the history of the Slavic people (the “Slav Epic”).

After admiring the historic station building, the SMGG members also had the chance to visit the modern part of the station, split over two floors with shops, restaurants, fast food outlets, ticket offices, waiting rooms and other station services designed with passenger comfort in mind.

The plenary meeting took place later that day with the sector’s main challenges being discussed, as well as the progress of different working groups: WG1 Station & Urban Design, WG2 Facility Management & Operations, WG3 Retail & Commercial Affairs, WG4 Small Stations, and Project Group Categorisation.

On Day 2, members listened to presentations from Správa železnic, covering their strategy, key projects, and other interesting activities. This was followed by a review of the sector’s work programme, with members defined the priorities of the sector for 2024-2025 and updated their future strategy.