Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Peev called on Holding BDZ EAD and the National Railway Infrastructure Company (NRIC) to develop a long-term strategy for the development of the railway sector. He made the call during a meeting with members of the Board of Directors of Holding BDZ EAD, the Management Board of NRIC and representatives of the railway trade unions. Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Tsveta Timeva also took part in the meeting.
“We cannot focus solely on resolving current problems. We need a clear vision of what we want rail transport to look like in the years ahead and how we are going to achieve it,” Minister Peev said, explaining that this would require better coordination between the companies and the trade unions.
He instructed that a review be carried out of the condition of railway stations and railway lines, their utilisation levels, and the number of trains required to operate the timetable. NRIC was tasked with finding a lasting and sustainable solution for the excavation of Tunnel No. 2 on the Elin Pelin – Kostenets railway line, taking into account the expertise of leading specialists.
Minister Peev also instructed NRIC to maintain weekly communication with Serbia and Romania regarding forthcoming engineering works on their respective territories, so that timely information on any restrictions is available and losses to businesses can be avoided. The possibility of BDZ Cargo assisting with the transport of agricultural produce due to the low water level of the River Danube was also discussed.
With regard to security, the Minister instructed Holding BDZ to work closely with the Ministry of Interior authorities on operational matters in order to improve security on trains.
“Rail transport must be developed as a single system, rather than having each company operate in isolation. The trade unions play an important balancing role and comprise professionals who are familiar with the problems facing the sector. I expect concrete solutions and constructive dialogue from all sides,” Georgi Peev emphasised.
