Bulgaria - General Information
Country Name
Bulgaria (България)
National railway system
National Railway Operator
Bulgarian State Railways - Bulgarski Darshavni Železnici (http://www.bdz.bg/en BDŽ), Български държавни железници (БДЖ).
Language
Bulgarian, using Cyrillic script.
Currency
Lev (Lv, дв); 100 stotinki = 1 Lv
UIC code
numeric 52; alpha BG
Timetable
Journey Planner
http://razpisanie.bdz.bg/SearchServlet?lang=en
Downloadable Timetable
PDF timetables for international Bulgarian services have not been found on the http://www.bdz.bg/en website since 2016. The website http://www.bdz.bg/en/ has a facility in the middle of the home page to list realtime departures from a limited number of main stations. Bulgarian international services are listed individually on http://www.bdz.bg/en/timetable/category-time-table-international.html Time-table international with links to PDF downloadable timings.
Printed Timetable
Patevoditel (ПЪТЕВОДИТЕЛ). Includes all internal and international services. Almost completely written in Bulgarian, using Cyrillic script. The timetable map is diagrammatic and still shows a few lines that no longer have a passenger service. This can be very difficult to obtain, but a pocket-sized version "СЪКРАТЕНО РАЗПИСАНИЕ" with reduced detail is more generally available.
Engineering Information
Not known.
Maps
Printed Maps
- European Railway Atlas: Scandinavia and Eastern Europe by M.G. Ball (1993) (ISBN 0-7110-2072-4)
- European Railway Atlas by M.G. Ball (2008 onwards)
Web-based Maps
- BDŽ map as per http://www.bdz.bg/bg/info/railway-map.html timetable book
- Thorsten Büker's http://www.bueker.net/trainspotting/maps_bulgaria.php Map of Bulgaria with enlargements of http://www.bueker.net/trainspotting/maps_sofia-area.php Sofia and http://www.bueker.net/trainspotting/maps_gorna-orjahovica-area.php Gorna Orjahovica.
- A map is available on the Infrastructure Authority website (although the English web page shows a link to the map the link does not appear to work)
Infrastructure
Infrastructure Authority
The National Railway Infrastructure Company (NRIC), Национална компания "Железопътна инфраструктура" (НКЖИ).
Network Statement
The Network Statement page provides a list of Network Statements for various years, which can be downloaded in sections.
Gauge
Standard. The BDŽ line from Septemvri to Dobrinishte is 760 mm gauge.
Electrification
25 kV 50 Hz.
Rule of the road
Right.
Distances
Can be found in Appendix 17 of the network statement.
Other Railways
None.
Tourist Lines
Plovdiv Children's Railway (60 cm gauge and ~ 1 km in length).
See http://www.visitplovdiv.com/en/node/691 Children's Railway
Metro
Sofia.
See Sofia Metro.
Trams
Sofia.
See Sofia Public Electric Transport Company
See also Bulgaria - Tram services over obscure routes
Recent and future changes
From 25 May 2017 until further notice passengers on the service between Thessaloniki and Sofia are taken by bus over the border between Kulata BDŽ and Promachon OSE. This service was reintroduced from 10 May 2014, reopening the border crossing to passenger traffic.
From an unknown date after December 2013 all of the limited table 600 service between Sofia and Pernik via Razmenna is diverted via a new curve to call at and reverse at Pernik-Razpredelitelna. Details when this commenced would be appreciated by the Compilers.
The journey planner contains trains between Kjustendil and Gjueshevo as at June 2014, following 6 months with none being shown.
Two pairs of local services between Vidin and Craiova in Romania commenced on 10 May 2014 but were replaced by just a pair of Sofia - Budapest long distance services from the December 2014 timetable change. This calls at the main Vidin station to reverse and change engines with BDZ Class 55 Diesel Haulage over the Bridge. The combined road/rail bridge between Calafat and Vidin, now named "New Europe Bridge", was ceremonially opened to traffic on 14 June 2013.
Much of the network is electrified, and more electrification is in progress. Electrification between Svilengrad and the border with Turkey was inaugurated on 9 May 2013, completing an electric route between the Serbian border and Istanbul.
The section of table 331 between Kremikovci and Jana via Obedinena lost its passenger service at the end of the 2008/2009 timetable period.
Special Notes
None.