Built at the times of the Habsburg monarchy, the Nova Gorica railway station has reopened after a major renovation just in time for the opening ceremony of the European Capital of Culture.

The city's landmark station has been revamped and rail infrastructure upgraded in an investment valued at €61.7 million, of which €43 million came in EU loans from the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism.

Europe Square in front of the station, which straddles the Slovenian-Italian border, has also been renovated. Each country chipped in half of the €2.4 million investment.

The station will now serve passenger transport only while freight is moving elsewhere.

A modern underpass will allow passengers safe and easy access to the platforms and link Europe Square with Nova Gorica.

There is also a new car park with 78 parking spaces and charging stations for electric cars on the east side of the station, and a new bus stop nearby.

Addressing the reopening ceremony on 31 January, Prime Minister Robert Golob said the project involved cooperation of several ministries and the municipalities of Nova Gorica and its Italian neighbour Gorizia.

"This investment confirms our commitment to continue to invest in clean technologies, to invest in a carbon-free future that promotes not only public transport as such, but the development of the rail network throughout the country," he said.

Built in 1906, during the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the station was renovated under the watchful eye of the cultural heritage protection authority.

It was one of the few buildings in the Gorizia area that became part of Slovenia after the Second World War, a period when the city of Nova Gorica was also built from scratch.

The area where the station is located was heavily bombarded during both World Wars. During the renovation construction workers unearthed several bombs, which were successfully removed.