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

Ex-PM Boyko Borisov: Delyan Peevski is unfairly sanctioned under the Magnitsky Act

GERB leader Boyko Borisov has told the media that he personally participated in talks with American representatives on the lifting of the Magnitsky sanctions against Bulgarian citizens. He said that he also spoke on the subject with David Cameron while..

published on 11/5/25 9:04 PM

Weather forecast: The clouds and rain continue, no rain in the Southwest

On Thursday minimum temperatures will range between 6 and 11° C., for Sofia around 8° C. During the day the weather will continue cloudy and rainy. The rain will be more significant in Eastern Bulgaria, and in the afternoon – in Central Bulgaria...

published on 11/5/25 6:35 PM
Deputy PM Tomislav Donchev

European Commission withholds payment under recovery and resilience plan over failure to implement anti-corruption reforms

The European Commission has decided to withhold EUR 215 million from the second payment under Bulgaria’s recovery and resilience plan, the EC told the Bulgarian National Radio. The country is to receive EUR 439 million. EU may cut money for..

published on 11/5/25 4:39 PM