The Plovdiv-Burgas railway line has made great progress with Bulgaria completing excavations on only one tunnel in the country. This is significant as it marks Bulgaria’s initiative towards modernizing railway transport.

This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Progress Accelerates on Plovdiv–Burgas Rail Line Modernisation
Photo, source: www.railwaypro.com

Plovdiv-Burgas Railway Line Achieves Major Infrastructure Milestone

Bulgaria’s Deputy Minister for Transport and Communications, Lyuben Nanov, confirmed that one railway tunnel on Plovdiv-Burgas railway line is excavated. The initiative is part of improved development in Bulgaria’s railways.

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The 744m long “Chirpan” road tunnel by-passes the town of Chirpan and diverts freight transport along a route which avoids residential areas. In this way, safety is improved and noise reduced, with faster travel times between central and eastern Bulgaria.

As this railway line passes between Plovdiv and Burgas, which are significant economic centers, it will improve transport in this space. Trains will travel with speeds of 160 km/h with operations starting in 2026.

Plovdiv-Burgas Rail Line: Investment and Strategic Importance

The Orizovo-Mikhaylovo section is an important element of the corridor with a value of $151 million (€136.5 million). This includes the construction of a double-track line with a distance of 37 km on Route 1 and 35.3 km on Route 2.

Engineers are working on revamping bridge structures, upgrading signaling systems, implementing new catenary infrastructure, and renovating substations. They are also eliminating level crossings by establishing overpasses.

The value of investment on the Plovdiv-Burgas scheme is $184m (€166m). The Cohesion Fund is largely providing funding for this investment, and this highlights the EU’s commitment to sustainable transport integration in Southeast Europe.

Given that this corridor links Bulgaria’s industrial backbone with ports on the Black Sea, it facilitates both internal and overseas trade. The improved railway line will thus minimize emissions and facilitate a mode shift towards railways.

According to experts, this is expected to lay the foundation for Bulgaria’s future high-speed railway network. Upon completion, this railway will meet all European standards, enhancing connectivity between Sofia, Plovdiv, and Burgas.

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