The unique Josta station building, which could have been granted the status of a protected historical monument, was sold off for bricks; however, due to a lack of initiative from many specialists, no such decision was made. Last summer, the Suntaži station building was auctioned in “Latvijas Vēstnesis” for 7044 euros (and was purchased). The Blīdene station building, together with a luggage warehouse, stable, shed, toilet and a concrete-ring well, had been valued at 18 526 euros.

This May, there was a repeat auction for the exact same amount, which surprised the locals, because the stable has collapsed and the abandoned building is perishing, especially after heavy rains, as the mezzanine flooring is rotting due to a leaking roof. Before the auction, the large Blīdene station, with its eight apartments on the second floor, was still in relatively good condition, thanks to the care of Mārīte Kurpniece, a railwayman’s daughter who travels from Liepāja on weekends and during her holidays to work in the garden inherited from her parents and to tend to her bees.

Now the doors to the station building are locked and sealed, and she can no longer empty the rainwater that collects in the basins and tubs placed in the attic – something Mārīte used to do regularly. Previously, the building was cared for by her father, who had been told by “LDz” several years ago that the station was no longer needed and would be demolished.

Mārīte is outraged – how can such a building, constructed for the people, be condemned to destruction! Before the auction, she was forced to move her belongings out of her parents' apartment in the station building, even though she had been receiving and paying rent invoices until that point. She still has not received or signed a handover document for the apartment (the conflict between Mārīte and “LDz” officials was reported by “Latvijas Avīze” on 10 September 2020).

“LDz” industrial heritage expert Toms Altbergs explains that “Latvijas dzelzceļš” currently uses 138 stations, which, according to their terminology, are considered technical facilities. The railway only needs small spaces – around 100 m2 – but many buildings are very large; for example, the Stalin-era building in Daugavpils has a massive cubic volume, which is why the company is unable to manage it.

The large buildings are quite a heavy burden, considering the finances of “LDz”. Of course, there are positive examples, such as in Dubulti, Cēsis, and Sigulda, where the station building is used in cooperation with the local municipality, which has a clear view of the local situation and is therefore able to address the situation more easily and efficiently.

When the railway to Rūjiena was liquidated, the land and buildings were handed over to the municipalities. There are railway lines that are closed and where there are not even any tracks left, but the land belongs to the state, for example, the Ieriķi–Gulbene and Gulbene–Vecumi lines. Consequently, people are not interested in purchasing former station structures, nor those located by tracks where freight train traffic still takes place.