Experts from the Ministry of Transport and Communications are proposing the division of Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ) into three lots. According to them, this is a first step toward a more efficient and modern railway transport system, reported public service broadcaster BNT. However, trade unions express serious concerns that this reform will lead to the sale of the most profitable routes to private operators, leaving the state-owned operator with unprofitable routes.
Petar Bunev, who heads the Railway Workers’ Union in Bulgaria, pointed out that it would be more profitable if the entire railway system was operated by a single carrier rather than being divided into three.
According to representatives of the Green Transport Cluster, railway transport in Bulgaria and Europe cannot continue in this way. "This is not a division of BDZ. This is a division of routes into three lots" said Simeon Ananiev, Chairman of the Green Transport Cluster. Simeon Ananiev added that BDZ will remain one of the carriers, and if it is the best one and offers the best conditions, it could hypothetically take all the routes.
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