The first eight new Škoda trains enter regular service today, with their number set to reach 20 by 20 August. This marks the beginning of a major modernisation of Bulgaria’s railways, Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Peev announced.He travelled aboard one of the first electric multiple units, named Sredna Gora. The presentation was attended by Deputy Prime Minister for EU Funds Management Atanas Pekanov, Deputy Minister Tsveta Timeva, Deputy Chair of the National Assembly’s Transport and Communications Committee Neli Andreeva, and the management teams of Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ) and the National Railway Infrastructure Company (NRIC).
Minister Peev emphasised that efforts to accelerate the administrative, certification and training processes had been critical to bringing the new rolling stock into service ahead of schedule.
Together with the forthcoming deliveries of Alstom trains, Bulgaria will have a total of 60 new trainsets. The Minister stressed that this was only the beginning, noting that between 280 and 300 carriages are strategically required to meet the needs of the national transport system. “I would like to emphasise once again that the trains entering service today are far from sufficient to provide a comprehensive, high-quality service,” Georgi Peev added. He announced that talks would be held in Brussels to secure sustainable funding that would turn the modernisation effort into a consistent programme based on a detailed analysis of passenger numbers and citizens’ actual needs.
A comprehensive approach to the reform is needed, as infrastructure and rolling stock go hand in hand if the new trains are to reach speeds of up to 160 km/h, provided that the track infrastructure is of the required standard. According to the Minister, suitable rolling stock must also be supported by a highly motivated workforce. “We have excellent staff and excellent train drivers who are working in poor conditions. The professionals within any system are its most valuable people – we must listen to them and trust them,” he stressed.
The new trains are named after Bulgarian mountains and mountain peaks. They are equipped with Wi-Fi, QR codes providing passenger information and modern security systems. Minister Peev called on all citizens to take care of the new rolling stock.
Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Pekanov noted that the project is a key part of the Recovery and Resilience Plan. “We are investing more than EUR 400 million in new rolling stock. This is the largest renewal of the sector in the past two decades,” the Deputy Prime Minister emphasised.
