Modernisation works of the railway lines connecting Plovdiv to the Greek and Turkish borders have been completed.
The opening ceremony of Dimitrovgrad-Simeonovgrad and Lubimets and the Greek border railway sections was attended by the Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications Ivaylo Moskovsk, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, General Director of NRIC Bulgarian Railway Infrastructure Manager Milcho Lambrev central and local government officials.
The modernisation works are part of the project “Reconstruction and electrification of railway line Plovdiv – Svilengrad corridors IV and IX, Phase 2: Section Parvomay – Svilengrad”. The value of the project is BGN 424 and financing is provided from the Cohesion Fund through the Operational Programme “Transport” 2007-2013. Following modernisation works, speeds are increased to 160 km/h for passenger trains (200 km/h for tilting trains), and 120 km/h for freight trains.
According to Moskovski in a few years new trains will have to run on the modernised infrastructure. He noted that modernisation projects will also start in northern Bulgaria, on Mezdra – Gorna Oryahovitsa, Ruse – Varna, Vidin – Sofia rail sections.
NRIC will now focus on completing Plovdiv-Septemvri railway line modernisation and on improving the line connecting Sofia and the border with Serbia.
(Think-Railways.com)
