Private company Large Infrastructure Projects (LIP), based in Sofia, has unveiled its vision for a high-speed railway in Bulgaria that also connects with neighboring countries Romania and Greece, this is reported by the railway transport news portal, Railway Supply.

high-speed rail section

The company envisions creating a high-speed corridor between Athens, Thessaloniki, Sofia, and Bucharest, transitioning air transport to rail and fostering connectivity between the three nations, as train travel to Ruse, Bucharest, Thessaloniki, and Athens is currently not possible.

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The vision comprises two main routes: one between Sofia and Thessaloniki and another along the Sofia-Varna route, with branches to Ruse and Bucharest, designed to reach speeds of 350 km/h, providing efficient competition to air and road transport.

The dual-track high-speed railway Sofia-Thessaloniki will act as a ground bridge between the two cities and become part of the core TEN-T network via the Orient/East-Med and RFC 7 corridors, reducing travel time to 1 hour and 30 minutes from almost 7 hours.

The line is intended for mixed traffic (passenger and freight), accommodating 750-meter-long freight trains (capable of carrying up to 116 TEUs) and P 400 semi-trailer traffic loaded onto wagons.

Additionally, the line will be equipped with an ATO system at GoA3 level and, eventually, GoA4, enabling the use of the 5G FRMCS communication system.

The line will start at Voluyak station west of Sofia, terminate at the Bulgarian-Greek border, and extend south to Thessaloniki.

Bulgaria needs to construct a new 192 km line, while in Greece, a new 78 km line is planned, of which 11.7 km will share tracks with the high-speed railway line Thessaloniki-Kavala-Xanthi, leaving 66 km exclusively for the new Sofia-Thessaloniki railway.

Overall, Bulgaria and Greece must build 269.5 km of new line, with 34% of it passing through tunnels, including a 1-kilometer tunnel beneath the Belasitsa Mountains, along with bridges and viaducts.

In Bulgaria, the line will feature three new stations (in Sandanski, Petrich, and Yavornitsa).

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The high-speed Sofia-Varna line with branches to Ruse and Bucharest will reduce travel time between Sofia’s central station and Varna by 135 km.

In Bulgaria, travel time between Sofia and Varna will be reduced by over five hours to 2 hours from 7 hours and 35 minutes, while from Sofia to Ruse, it will be reduced by 5 hours to 1 hour and 30 minutes from over 6 hours.

This line, composed of both existing and new tracks, will also facilitate freight movement and serve as the backbone of the railway system in northern Bulgaria.

The line will reduce travel time from Sofia to Bucharest by almost eight hours, from 9 hours and 45 minutes to 2 hours.

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