Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

The government opens passenger rail transport to foreign operators

Grozdan Karadjov
Photo: BTA

The government has approved a procedure that will open the country’s passenger rail transport to private operators, including foreign ones. This is set to begin on December 13, 2026. The planned duration of the contracts is 12 years. The country is divided into three regions (lots) – western, northern and southern. The procedure, which is part of the reforms under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, is expected to be announced next week in the Official Journal of the European Union so that all European operators have equal access to it.

"The government's goal is to make rail transport the backbone of public transport in the country. Competition will not just be about subsidies, but about delivering better service to passengers", said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadjov. 

According to a 2024 report by the Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ), the average train speed in the country is 49.25 km/h.

Edited by Miglena Ivanova

Published and translated by Kostadin Atanasov

Photo: BTA



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

A cold front will pass through the country

On Tuesday , the lowest temperatures will be between 8 and 13°C; in Sofia - about 8°C. During the day, it will remain cloudy. There will be rainfalls in some places. The highest temperatures will be between 10 and 15°C; in the..

published on 11/3/25 7:45 PM

Bulgaria relies on the honorary consuls in the country to help create new partnerships

Bulgaria relies on the efforts of honorary consuls from around the world to help establish new partnerships in the fields of economy, trade, innovation, education and tourism. Our country can become more visible by restoring its positions and building..

published on 11/3/25 6:10 PM

EU report urges North Macedonia to include Bulgarians in the constitution

North Macedonia has still not adopted the necessary constitutional amendments aimed at including Bulgarians and other non-majority communities in the constitution. This is stated in the annual report of the European Commission on the progress of EU..

published on 11/3/25 5:22 PM