Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications

The effective implementation of the contract first phase from the project “Reconstruction and Electrification of the railway line Plovdiv – Svilengrad – Greek/Turkish Boundary and optimization of the sector for speeds up to 160 km/hour will begin on May 25, 2006, reported the Deputy Minister of Transport Vesela Gospodinova on press conference today. The agreement was met after a meeting between the representatives of Ministry of Transport, the project advisor – the consortium ADO S.A, the executor –TERNA and the supervisor – the consortium TYPSA S.A.

The first phase foresees projecting and building of a railroad and electrification of the sector from railway station Krumovo to the city of Parvomay with length of 37,7 kilometers which is almost 1/3 from the whole railway line Plovdiv – Svilengrad. The term of accomplishment is 21 months. The expectations are to complete the sector in 2008.

All participants of the conference expressed their optimism, that the project will be fulfilled in time and with the appropriate quality. In case of delays the forfeits which the Greek firma TERNA will pay are 7000 Euros a day, but not more than 10 000 000 Euro, as recorded in the contract. The financial means given for the first phase of the project are to the whole value of 85 728 832 Euro.

This is the biggest infrastructure project in Bulgaria, financed from the European Union funds. From the whole sum, which is 340 000 000 Euro, 153 000 000 Euro are from theISPA Program, 150 000 000 Euro are European Investment Bank loan and 37 000 000 Euros are from the state budget.

The project has significant importance for country, as  it covers parts from the 4^th and 9^th European transport corridors.

For additional information:
Vera Deianova, Press Centre,
Ministry of Transport
Phone: 940 95 34
E-Mail: vdeianova@mt.government.bg