In March, we proposed three new investments in the railway sector under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, two of which have now been approved. Bulgaria is receiving an additional BGN 517 million under the Plan for railway projects. This was announced today by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications, Mr Grozdan Karadjov, during a press briefing.
The first investment concerns the procurement of specialised high-tech machinery for the monitoring, maintenance, and repair of the railway track and overhead contact line, with a total value of BGN 195 million. The project includes the delivery of 46 specialised machines of various types. “This equipment is extremely important. In addition to supporting the maintenance of railway lines built for speeds of up to 160 km/h, it will also reduce response times for incidents and increase overall safety,” Karadjov stressed. He added that this would improve the precision and speed of both railway and overhead line maintenance and repairs.
The second approved project under the RRP involves the rehabilitation of the railway sections Ruse Razpredelitelna – Yastrebovo and Visoka Polyana – Pliska, which are part of the Ruse–Kaspichan corridor, as well as the renovation of the stations in Hitrino, Pliska, Razgrad, and Svoge. “Nearly 52 km of railway and four station complexes will be modernised with an investment of BGN 162 million. The Ruse–Kaspichan railway is the shortest freight route connecting the Black Sea with the Danube River,” noted the Deputy Prime Minister, adding that all works are expected to be completed by the end of the year.
“A further BGN 160 million has also been approved for new trains, bringing the total amount allocated for new rolling stock to BGN 825 million,” Karadjov announced. He underlined that the Recovery and Resilience Plan is not merely a funding mechanism, but an investment framework linked to structural reforms. “The fact that Bulgaria has succeeded in securing this additional funding is a clear sign of the European Commission’s trust and a recognition that the country is fulfilling its commitments in the transport sector,” said Deputy Prime Minister Karadjov.
During the briefing, Grozdan Karadjov also presented the findings of a comprehensive inspection of the company MAGDAK EOOD, whose lorry was involved in a crash at a petrol station near the village of Radomirtsi on 24 May. “The very same day, the Executive Agency ‘Automobile Administration’ launched a full investigation of the transport company. Within one month, 13 teams from the agency inspected 191 lorries and 299 individuals,” Karadjov stated. He reported that 114 violation reports were issued, with fines amounting to BGN 96,800. Inspectors also identified 42 drivers from the company who were working without employment contracts while operating motor vehicles. “The data has already been submitted to the General Labour Inspectorate. The fines provided for in such cases range between BGN 1,500 and 15,000 per person,” Deputy Prime Minister Karadjov added.
