Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications

The Shift2Rail initiative is a possibility for establishment of effective public-private partnership in the railway sector, said the Deputy Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications Peter Kirov at the opening of the Information Day on railway transport innovations, which was held at MTITC.

Shift2Rail is an initiative for innovations and investments development in the railway sector. Within the framework of the initiative European files related to the rail transport, information technology and innovation and the Single European Railway Area will be created. The main goal is to support the transition towards a more integrated, sustainable and attractive rail transport, said Deputy Minister Kirov.

Public-private partnership will work towards improving the efficiency and upgrade the capacity of the rail transport, as well as deployment of better trains - reliable and quiet, and mostly shifting cargo transportations from cars to rail. Shift2Rail will contribute to higher efficiency of the rail freight transportations in terms of value and reliability.

Within the Information Day, the Director General of UNIFE, Philippe Citroen will present the initiative Shift2Rail with topical issues of the rail sector in the EU, the vision and activities of UNIFE, Technical pillar of the Fourth Railway Package and Cohesion policy and trade questions. The viewpoint of the Bulgarian railway sector on current topics will be presented by Nicola Durchev, Chairman of the National Association of Railway Automation, Signalling, Telecommunications and Industry (RASITA).

Other topics at the forum are: "Transport Innovation and the Bulgarian Operational Programs" and "Priorities for rail infrastructure - 2014 -2020“, which will be presented by representatives of the Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications and the National Railway Infrastructure Company.