The first 19 modernised DB railcars for Bulgaria have arrived at BDZ depot and are expected to enter passenger operation on the country’s rail network by mid-June.
“This deal, which we implemented with the assistance of the German Embassy in Bulgaria, is the first important step towards the modernisation of the railway transport,” the minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Gvozdeykov said upon the arrival of the rolling stock.
The cost of the whole project is just over BGN 30 million (EUR 15 million) for 76 coaches, which makes BGN 400,000 (EUR 201,101) per wagon. “It is much more expensive for BDZ to repair one coach from its existing fleet. But the most important thing is that with the money invested in the repair of such a wagon, we cannot achieve the quality of the rolling stock that comes from Germany,” Gvozdeykov added.
BDZ said that it expects the remaining 57 railcars to be delivered in June so that they can be put into operation for the upcoming summer season.
Each of the carriages has a capacity for 80 seats and is able to run at a speed of up to 200 km/h while meeting all modern comfort standards. The rolling stock has no compartments, open space type and is equipped with an air-conditioning system as well as an information system to inform passengers about the stations and stops along the train route.
Six of the carriages are adapted for the disabled and all 76 carriages have ergonomic seating. They also have sockets for charging mobile phones and individual reading lights above each seat.
The DB railcars for Bulgaria will run on the longest routes in the country between Sofia and Burgas, and Sofia and Varna, and each train will have a restaurant car.
In March 2024, BDZ-Passenger Carriages and Deutsche Bahn signed the EUR 15.4 million contract for the delivery of 76 modernised coaches.
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