Bulgaria - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services

Introduction

This list is based on the timetable period 11 December 2022 to 9 December 2023 unless otherwise stated. Standard abbreviations used are explained in the General Information document. Trains running only certain days of the week are shown using ISO 8601 weekday numbers (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_week_date )

Map references for each route entry are given in parentheses ( ). References prefixed "ERA-E" refer to the European Railway Atlas (All-Europe Edition) by M.G. Ball. Template:Map Refs ERA-R-RO-BG-MD Note the transliterations used in these maps to Latin characters do not always correspond with the current BDŽ English station names.

Obscure services

Mezdra Avoiding Line: Mezdra-Jug – Ruska Bjala

[200, 700] (ERA-E 110B3; ERA-R 243C2) BG24/1

This route is used by fast trains between Sofia and Vraca not reversing at Mezdra.

		7620	Sofia - 08:45 Zverino - Vidin
		7623	Vidin - 15:36 Vraca - Sofia
		7625	Vidin - 20:42 Vraca - Sofia

(Plovdiv –) Filipovo – Skutare

[800] (ERA-E 110A3; ERA-R 248B5) BG23/2

Most trains between Plovdiv and Skutare (and onwards to Mihajlovo) run via a shorter, easterly route via Trakija. After a break of several years, some local trains started using the route to the west and north of Plovdiv via Filipovo in the 2021/2022 timetable. The 2022-23 timetable shows the following trains via this route.

		Ord 80101	Plovdiv - 05:05 Filipovo - Jambol
		Fast 8631	Plovdiv - 07:10 Filipovo - Varna
		Ord 80105	Plovdiv - 14:35 Filipovo - Burgas
		Ord 80107	Plovdiv - 16:45 Filipovo - Jambol
		Ord 80112	Stara Zagora - 09:07 Skutare - Plovdiv
		Ord 80100	Jambol - 12:23 Skutare - Plovdiv

(Sofia –) Cherepish – Lyuti brod (– Mezdra)

[200] (ERA-E 110B3, not shown; ERA-R 243C2, not shown) BG24/3

Between Lyuti brod and Cherepish the two tracks are on very different alignments for over a kilometre and are up to 170 metres apart. Indeed for a time the tracks are on opposite sides of the river Iskar.

Harmanli Avoiding Line: bypassing Harmanli Centar and Harmanli stations

(ERA-E 110A2; ERA-R 232B5) BG24/4

This new alignment was opened by 2016 as part of improvements between Simeonovgrad and Svilengrad. All timetabled passenger trains call at Harmanli Centar and/or Harmanli stations so cannot use this route; however it has been reported that the Optima Express runs this way.

Trams

See Bulgaria - Tram services over obscure routes

Other sparse services

The following lines have few trains (relative to service levels generally in this country) - fewer than three trains each way on at least three days a week - or do not run each weekday:

100	Dragoman - Dimitrovgrad (Serbia)	One train pair daily
102	Svilengrad - Kapıkule (Turkey)	One train pair daily
228	(Poveljanovo -) Dobrich - Kardam	Two train pairs daily
400	Ruse - Giurgiu Nord (Romania)	One train pair daily
401	Dimitrovgrad - Kardzhali	Two train pairs daily
500	Kulata - Promachon (Greece)	Service currently suspended
600	(Sofia –) Volujak – Razmenna – Pernik-Razpredelitelna (– Pernik)	Two train pairs daily
600	Gjueshevo - Kjustendil	Two train pairs WSSuO
700	Vidin - Golenti (Romania)	One train pair daily

Deletions since previous edition

BG22/3	(Sofia –) Volujak – Razmenna – Pernik-Razpredelitelna (– Pernik)	The service is readily identifiable on maps and in table 600. Moved to Other Sparse Services
BG22/4	(Sofia –) Razmenna – Kopanica	Diversionary route only, no recorded use since 2017
BG22/6	(Sofia –) Ilijanci – Jana – Stolnik	The service is readily identifiable on maps and in table 300. Three services eastbound, four westbound.