Bulgaria’s national railway passenger transport operator, BDZ Holding, announced its intention to organize a tender, in October, for the acquisition of 41 new trains. The total value of the acquisition would amount to BGN 380 million (EUR 194.3 million).
The investment represents the first stage of the modernisation plan for the rolling stock fleet of BDZ. In the second phase, the railway transport company will acquire 44 new trains, also destined for rail passenger transport.
BDZ expects the trains to be operational by 2021.
“In order to fully modernise BDZ’s rolling stock fleet, we would need to invest between BGN 800 million (EUR 409.5 million) and BGN 1.3 billion (EUR 665.5 million),” Vladimir Vladimirov, CEO of BDZ Holding, said.
Vladimirov also pointed out that the government should provide the necessary funds for the second phase of the acquisition of new rolling stock.
He then said that BDZ is confident about debt clearing, a very heavy burden for the rail transport operator. Up to now, more than BGN 600 million (BGN 306.3 million) have been deducted to cover these debts and possible additional costs associated. “By the end of 2018, the debt crisis of the railway company will end,” Vladimirov concluded.
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