Sugiez FR railroad station may be demolished
Published: Friday, Jun 21st 2024, 12:50
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The Federal Administrative Court has rejected an appeal by Pro Fribourg and the Swiss Heritage Society against the demolition of Sugiez railroad station. The Fribourg public transport company is therefore not obliged to preserve the building, which dates back to 1903. The ruling is not legally binding and can be appealed before the Federal Supreme Court.
In November 2021, Fribourg Transport (TPF) presented its project to replace the rail infrastructure in Sugiez on the Fribourg-Murten-Ins line. The project envisages the demolition of the passenger building. This is to be replaced by a "mobility hub" that is also accessible to people with reduced mobility.
In a ruling published on Friday, the Federal Administrative Court dismissed the appeal of the two associations for the protection of architectural heritage and essentially stated "that there is no legal obligation to preserve this building as there are no protective measures in place".
An object of "local importance"
The judges in St. Gallen recognized that the building had a value of C in the register of the Cantonal Office for Cultural Assets (KGA). This makes it an object of "local importance". Nevertheless, no protective measures were ordered and the building was not placed under a preservation order. The court cannot understand the appellants' interpretation that it should therefore have been placed under protection.
However, the Administrative Court showed understanding for the complainants' disappointment at TPF's U-turn. In 2014, the company had planned to preserve the building as it believed that the protection of the stations "as cultural heritage" was justified and that it was necessary to try to integrate them into the new railroad infrastructure. At the time, the TPF had undertaken to draw up an inventory of these buildings, which would have been binding on them. (Judgment A-584/2023 of June 10, 2024)
©Keystone/SDA
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