Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications

The today’s accident is an indication for the bad condition of our railway transport, said the Minister of Transport Peter Mutafchiev during a conference, after a train derailed on Vlado Trickov railway station.

We would like to remind you that today, at 6.30 am, near Vlado Trickov railway station, five carriages from the composition of train №2626р, running on the route Varna – Sofia, derailed. These were mail-car, baggage-car and four passenger’s carriages. There were no casualties among the passengers and the railway personnel.

The reasons for the accident will be investigated by a commission, approved by the Minister of Transport. The initial data shows that 500 000 levs will be necessary for the recovering of the damaged sector. Today at 5 pm the traffic will be restored, with the speed limitation of 25km/h, until Wednesday, October 4^th 2006 the traffic will be fully normalized.

Minister Mutafchiev said that the global problems of the railway transport are two – bad condition of the railway road and the rolling-stock. The measures, which has been taken to improve the financial status of “BDZ” Ltd and NC “Railway Infrastructure” are insufficient. The two companies could not overcome the difficulties alone. These problems have been postponed for 15 years and there is no time for further delays. The speed limit itself could not resolve the problem with the traffic safety. The bad condition of the rolling–stock makes the services worse, which results in income decrease, Minister Mutafchiev also said. The means granted for the two companies “BDZ” Ltd and NC “Railway Infrastructure” are not enough.                    

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