News

Five working groups will develop specific solutions to the key issues related to the provision of rail services from 13 December 2026. The Minister of Transport and Communications, Georgi Peev, set a two-week deadline for completing preparations for the provision of rail passenger services by a state-owned and a private operator. At the beginning of 2026, a contract was concluded under which Ivkoni Express will take over 25% of rail passenger services.

At the initiative of the Minister of Transport and Communications, Georgi Peev, a meeting was held with representatives of road freight carriers to discuss ways of reducing congestion and improving traffic management at Kapitan Andreevo Border Crossing Point.

An operation is under way to tow MV “Chelsea-3” now that the vessel’s anchor has taken hold on the seabed, keeping the ship stable. The vessel is located 12.5 nautical miles south of Cape Maslen and 10.7 nautical miles east of Lozenets. A second vessel of the same shipowner, “Chelsea-2”, will also join the operation.

The operation to secure and tow the drifting motor vessel “Chelsea-3” has been temporarily suspended by order of the Harbour Master of Burgas. The suspension was prompted by a sharp deterioration in hydrometeorological conditions and heavy seas in the area.

Despite the severe conditions, the specialised tug “Aliot” managed to reach the vessel at 12:45. An inspection was carried out with a view to transferring an emergency team on board, but the weather conditions did not allow this and posed a serious risk to the safety of the teams.

The Executive Agency “Maritime Administration” (EAMA) has launched an operation to secure MV “Chelsea-3” after the vessel began to drift. The ship has entered the 12-nautical-mile zone east of Primorsko.

The worsening hydrometeorological conditions caused the vessel to drift southwards from its original position.

The search and rescue operation was officially declared over today at 15:00.

The operation resumed in the morning at 10:30, with the area being surveyed by a Bulgarian Navy vessel. 

At 14:30 operations were halted owing to a sharp deterioration in the weather – strong north-northeasterly winds gusting up to 72 km/h, reduced visibility due to precipitation and sea state 5 – which led to the termination of the operation.

The search and rescue operation for sailors from the stricken vessel “HS Dignity” resumed at 10:30. The area will be searched by a Bulgarian Navy vessel.

The active phase of the search and monitoring operation in the area of the incident was temporarily suspended yesterday at 18:00. The decision was taken due to the onset of darkness and difficult hydrometeorological conditions, following 16 hours of continuous coordinated rescue operations.

Nine vessels and two helicopters actively participated in the search of the areas, alongside vessels passing nearby.

The motor vessel CHELSEA-3, sailing under the Maltese flag with a crew of 15, was attacked at 01:15, 17 nautical miles east of the town of Byala. Following the incident, the vessel dropped anchor. All 15 crew members were rescued. The vessel was sailing in ballast from the Turkish Black Sea port of Giresun to Giurgiulești. 

The Ministry of Transport and Communications will apply nationwide the successful experience of the Municipality of Burgas in building training grounds for the safe driving of young drivers. During a working meeting between Georgi Peev, Minister of Transport and Communications, and the city’s mayor, Dimitar Nikolov, the transport connectivity of the region was discussed. 

Georgi Peev, Minister of Transport and Communications, took part in the Circular Gaia Symposium forum, in the panel “Green Infrastructure and Climate Resilience”.

He noted that among Bulgaria’s main priorities are promoting environmentally friendly modes of transport and developing sustainable transport infrastructure.

“Work on Corridor VIII is moving from documents and declared intentions to real action,” said Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Hristina Velinova at the opening of Panel 2, “Transport, Energy and Economic Connectivity”, at the International Conference on Corridor VIII in Sofia. She pointed out that, in the current geopolitical situation, the Sofia – Skopje – Durrës – Bari route is important not only for trade and regional development, but also for security and military mobility within the framework of EU-NATO cooperation.

Urgent steps have been taken and the Corridor VIII project is moving forward at an accelerated pace following the meetings of the Joint Committee in Sofia and Skopje. This was stated by the Minister of Transport and Communications, Georgi Peev, speaking to journalists during the International Conference on Corridor VIII, held at the Hyatt Regency Sofia hotel.

In response to reports received from members of the public and the petition to retain the Ruse–Plovdiv–Ruse rail link, an urgent meeting was held on the initiative of the Minister of Transport and Communications, Georgi Peev, between representatives of the Railway Administration Executive Agency, the National Railway Infrastructure Company, BDZ – Passenger Services and Ivkoni Express, with Ruse Municipality taking part online.

The Minister of Transport and Communications, Georgi Peev, held a working meeting with the trade unions of the Transport sector of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB). The discussion was attended by the President of CITUB, Plamen Dimitrov, and the Chairman of the Federation of Transport Trade Unions at CITUB, Aleksandar Shopov. Deputy Minister Tsveta Timeva and representatives of the maritime and air transport trade unions also took part.

The modernisation of the ports of Varna and Burgas, together with the doubling of rail and road infrastructure capacity towards Türkiye, will significantly improve Bulgaria’s connectivity with the Black Sea region, the Caucasus and Asia. This became clear during the meeting between the Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Peev and the Secretary General of the Permanent Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Commission TRACECA, Jasurbek Choriyev, held at the Ministry of Transport and Communications.

Requests for indexation under signed construction contracts in the railway sector exceed the amount of EUR 256 million. This was stated by the Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Peev in response to a question during the blitz control session of the Committee on Transport and Communications at the National Assembly. He emphasized that at present there is still no approved methodology regulating the indexation process.

At the initiative of the Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Hristina Velinova, the first working meeting was held, launching the institutional process for the revival and development of aero club activities in the country. The project is the result of a proposal submitted to the Council of Ministers in May 2026 by Petyo Kyurkchiyski of the “Flying People” Aero Club and supported by Prime Minister Rumen Radev.

Bulgaria, Greece and Romania are moving from political coordination to joint planning and implementation of specific cross-border transport projects along three routes connecting the Aegean Sea, the Danube and the Black Sea. At a high-level meeting in Brussels entitled “Friends of South-East Europe: Bridging the Gaps Together”, an action plan was signed by Transport Ministers Georgi Peev and Christos Dimas, Romanian State Secretary for Transport and Infrastructure Ionel Scrioșteanu, European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas, European Coordi