Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications

Minister Moskovski: We are working hard on the modernization of the railway direction from Serbia to Burgas

We are working hard on the modernization of the railway direction from Serbia to Burgas, as well as on the railway branches to Greece and Turkey. This was stated today by the Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications Ivaylo Moskovski in Plovdiv at the opening of an international conference on logistics and combined transport in Southeast Europe. He added that by the end of this year the railway from September to Svilengrad, on which passenger trains will run at speed up to 160 km / h and freight trains at speed up to 120 km / h. will be completed.

The Minister assured the forum participants that during the next programming period 2020 the work on the construction and modernization of the railway direction from Serbia to Burgas shall continue. Our expectations are that by the end of the period we will have a completely functional connection from the western border to the key coastal city of Burgas, he added.

Minister Ivailo Moskovski said that from 2007 to 2013 under OP "Transport" are financed 118 projects, 25 of which investment projects, totaling at 4 billion levs. After the accounting of all funds paid under the program by the end of 2016 the absorption of EU funds is expected to be 98%. He said that so far almost 500 km of railway lines are rehabilitated, equipped with the modern system for managing of railway traffic ERTMS. Also 260 km of new highways are built, 31 km new first-class roads and 19 km of roads have been rehabilitated.

Minister Moskovski said that he expects that by the end of October 2016 the work on the intermodal terminal in Plovdiv will be completed and the work on the intermodal terminal in Varna is to be on technical design stage.

The minister said that currently an Integrated Transport Strategy by 2030 is being developed. The document will help us in the decision making process regarding the development of the transport sector with long-term vision by 2030, he added.