From Sunday, December 15, a new train timetable comes into effect, BDZ announced. In most regions of the country, the current schedule is maintained, and to improve service, convenient connections between trains with the possibility of traveling between more settlements have been provided.
When preparing the new transport scheme, BDZ annually coordinates the movement of fast and passenger trains with the regional and municipal administrations in each place.
The new schedule will reduce the travel time with the morning fast train from Sofia to Burgas and the afternoon fast train from Burgas to Sofia, which pass through the Sub-Balkan Railway Line.
Service in the Dobrich and Silistra districts is maintained, as well as the movement of the direct trains Ruse - Sofia - Ruse and Ruse - Plovdiv - Ruse. A new convenient fast travel connection is being created between Ruse and Burgas at Dabovo station with one transfer and shorter travel time of the morning fast train from Ruse to Plovdiv with the morning fast train from Sofia to Burgas, as well as in the opposite direction of the afternoon fast train from Burgas to Sofia with a connection at Tulovo station with the fast train from Plovdiv to Ruse. For travelers from Stara Zagora, a new convenient later option for traveling to Ruse is being created via a new regional train from Stara Zagora to Tulovo station, which will connect with the fast train from Plovdiv to Ruse.
For travelers between Southern and Northern Bulgaria, a new convenient morning fast connection is being created between the morning fast train from Plovdiv to Varna at Stara Zagora station with the morning train from Dimitrovgrad to Gorna Oryahovitsa, where there is a connection to Ruse, Pleven, Shumen and others.
With the introduction of the new schedule, one-day trips to Haskovo, Kardzhali, Momchilgrad and a number of tourist destinations near the Studen Kladenets dam will be possible. Every day, a completely new fast train will travel from Dimitrovgrad to Podkova, which will connect with Sofia, Pazardzhik and Plovdiv. In the opposite direction, the Podkova - Kardzhali - Haskovo - Dimitrovgrad train will arrive for a connection with a train to Plovdiv and Sofia.
The last train from Vidin to Sofia, which has so far not been preferred by travelers due to its late arrival in Sofia around 23:00, will depart earlier - at 16:00, and will arrive in the capital at 21:37. At its previous time of 17:30, a passenger train to Mezdra will run.
In the next summer season, night trains are again planned to run between Sofia and Burgas via the Sub-Balkan Railway Line, thus creating another opportunity to travel along the busiest and most sought-after summer destination.
The new schedule also provides for the movement of 8 international fast trains. The daily movement of trains between Bulgaria and Turkey with the night train on the Sofia - Halkali - Sofia route is maintained, as well as the direct carriages between Bucharest and Halkali in the summer period, the trains between Bulgaria and Romania through the international connection on the Sofia - Bucharest direction with the morning train Sofia - Varna with direct carriages to Ruse and the afternoon train Ruse - Sofia with a connection at the Ruse station to and from Bucharest. During the summer period, the movement of direct carriages on the Sofia - Gorna Oryahovitsa - Bucharest - Gorna Oryahovitsa - Sofia and Varna - Gorna Oryahovitsa - Bucharest - Gorna Oryahovitsa - Varna direction will be maintained. The other possibility for an international connection between Bulgaria and Romania is on the Sofia - Craiova direction, which is carried out at the Vidin station with the morning train Sofia - Vidin and the afternoon train Vidin - Sofia.
Next year, the volume of transport stipulated in the contract concluded with the state for the provision of public transport services will be maintained. Passenger transportation will be carried out by a total of 503 trains, of which: 79 fast trains (2 of them will run only during the summer season), 122 passenger trains and 302 suburban passenger trains, some of which will run only on certain days of the week or certain periods of the year.
Detailed information about the new Train Schedule can be obtained by BDZ customers from the employees at the “Information” counters and ticket offices in all railway offices and stations in the country, on the national information phone number 02/931 11 11 or from the electronic travel guide on the company's official website: www.bdz.bg.