Transport and communications generate over 11% of Bulgaria’s gross added value, the development of the transport sector being a key factor in the consolidation of international trade, transport growth triggering economy growth. Although there is still no stable trend of change in the freight and passenger railway transport, long-term prospects envisage an increase of freight transport following the improvement of economic and social conditions.
Domestic cargo transport demand is relatively stable with a freight volume of 82 million tonnes/year representing 74% of the total transport demand ensured by roads and railways, shows the transport development strategy by 2020. The railway market becomes more and more competitive due to the foreign operators which are already operating in Bulgaria leading to the improvement of the quality of services, cost cuts and creating the premises for shifting traffic from roads to railways. Also, the introduction of EU measures on road traffic (limiting travel time and freight volumes) will increase the attractiveness of railway transport. According to the estimates of the Transport Ministry, freight traffic performance (t-km) will increase by 0.05% per year and traffic is expected to increase by 2015 due to the complete liberalisation of the railway market in conformity with EU regulations.
The evaluation of container transport levels indicates a lower level than in neighbouring countries, the main locations for freight handling being in ports, especially in Varna. This segment is expected to increase in regions with efficient and quality infrastructure, for example in Sofia, where the new railway terminal will have a positive impact on intermodal transport development. Container traffic should increase after 2016 as a result of placing in service container terminals, especially in the ports of Burgas and Varna.
Intermodal transport development is a priority that provides new opportunities for creating a full logistics scheme. “The important routes of Bulgaria are Vidin-Sofia-Kulata/ Plovdiv-Svilengrad (Corridor 4); Kalotina – Sofia (Corridor 10); Gyueshevo-Sofia-Burgas/ Varna (Corridor 8); Ruse-Dimitrovgrad/ Sofia/ Varna (Corridors 7 and 8). The ports of Varna, Burgas, Lom, Vidin and Oryahovo require modernisation works. At present, there are development opportunities for the RO-RO intermodal services (Danube ports Ruse-Iztok, Vidin and Silistra) and Black Sea ports (Varna and Burgas) and RO-LA services. The placing in service of the second bridge across the Danube and of the Bosporus Tunnel will significantly increase the volumes of combined transport. Transit freight traffic will be attracted from Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Transcaucasia and Russia through the ports of Varna and Burgas, as stated in the Partnership Agreement for 2014-2020.
New terminals to cope with cargo flows
In order to meet the requirements, Bulgaria has launched terminal construction projects. A tender will be initiated in 2015 for the terminal in Ruse. Investments are estimated at EUR 26 Million and the implementation will take two years. “The construction of Ruse intermodal terminal will create conditions in Severen tsentralen region for the optimum combination and integration of different transport modes and opportunities will be created for the transport of large freight volumes on the Black Sea-Central Europe axis. The port and railway station in Ruse are connected to the Port of Varna through Ruse-Varna railway which can be developed as freight transport corridor”, the document states.
Regarding Plovdiv intermodal terminal, total costs are estimated at over EUR 8 Million. The terminal will be put in service at the end of 2015. In May, the authorities signed the contract on the construction and supervision of the project which “connects different modes of transport which will help increase the efficiency of freight transit through Bulgaria. Road and railway infrastructure projects have to be correlated to determine Bulgaria’s development. The geographical position of the new terminal has strategic importance due to the two European corridors which cross the region”, declared Deputy Minister of Transport Petar Kirov upon signing the contract. The contract is worth BGN 8.57 Million (EUR 4.36 Million), VAT excluded, and works are executed by Trace Group Hold AD. The terminal is built in Todor Kableshkov railway station area and will have a surface of over 68,000 square meters.
Another intermodal terminal to be built in 2015 is that in Varna located in the industrial area in the south of the city. It will provide sea, railway and road transport services, the project being approved for implementation within the investment programme “Sustainable development of regions” with an initial investment budget of EUR 15 Million.
A working group has been established for this project to prepare the reference terms and the technical specifications for implementation. The terminal will be equipped with platforms for handling containers and bulk.
According to project estimates, works will be completed in three years after the release of the construction permit. The cost of the project is BGN 90 Million (EUR 46 Million).
As the authorities estimate the increase of container transport in Burgas, this year investments will be allocated in the modernisation of infrastructure and facilities in the terminals of Burgas Port, “Burgas East – 2” and “Burgas West”. Funds are part of the “BMF Port Burgas” investment programme. A series of development projects are carried out at the port according to the 2015 strategy and due to the increase of demand. The extension of the port consists in the construction of four specialised terminals; N1-dedicated to the freight of liquid and bulk chemical products, N2-in the east, dedicated to general cargoes and bulk, N3-for ferry-boat lines and Ro-Ro freight, N4-for container transport.
In order to facilitate transport, increase the volumes of freight and attract volumes to railways, Bulgaria initiates several projects for the modernisation of railways: Plovdiv – Burgas (first phase), Sofia-Plovdiv (Septemvri – Plovdiv section), electrification and reconstruction of Plovdiv- Svilengrad railway (Dimitrovgrad – Svilengrad section).
For 2014-2020, the authorities have already set a series of projects: the implementation of phase II of Plovdiv – Burgas railway modernisation, reconstruction and elaboration of parameters for Ruse-Varna railway, the modernisation of Karnobat – Sindel, Vidin – Medkovets and Sofia – Dragoman railways. A new approach will be considered for 2014-2020 in order to get European funds and a new scheme for the financing of freight transport services within TEN-T and the Connecting Europe Facility will be presented.
According to estimates, by 2020 railway traffic will concentrate on the routes of Dragoman-Burgas, Karnobat-Sindel, Dragoman-Svilengrad, Ruse-Varna, Vidin-Kulata, Sofia-Varna and Ruse-Stara Zagora railways, as railway transport is expected to become the carriers’ mode of choice, especially on Sofia-Varna and Sofia-Burgas routes as road infrastructure is extremely busy and fuel costs are increasing. Railway infrastructure optimisation over the next years will stimulate the increase of railway freight volumes, as well as the number of passengers, on both internal and international routes.
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