Minister Karadzhov: As early as in February I will have a meeting with the European Commission about a possible change in the terms of the Recovery and Sustainability Plan for the delivery of new trains
Additional interlocking systems, which prevent two trains from being run into each other, will be installed in 70 stations and the areas around them. This was informed by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadzhov during the parliamentary control today.
“At my very first meeting with the management of the National Railway Infrastructure Company and the Bulgarian State Railways, I ordered that a new systematic approach to control should be implemented as soon as possible, to be activated in case of human error. It is high time that the Bulgarian citizens move with peace of mind and that freight transport is safe,” the Deputy Prime Minister said. He expects two types of measures to be proposed - urgent and long-term, which require more serious funding. One of the first actions is a ban on crossing at red signals.
“There are 21 stations in the country with industrial branches, which allow for unauthorised exit of trains on the main railway network, as was the case in Kremikovtzi,” Minister Karadzhov said. He pointed out that all of them will be equipped with additional technical means so that exiting directly from such a track would be impossible.
Additional training is being introduced for all operational staff related to transport safety. “I have ordered zero tolerance for employees violating safety rules - the first violation results in the employee being fired. So far 8 employees have been dismissed. These are incidents with no serious consequences, but it is a clear signal that the most innocuous mistake will be punished most severely,” the Deputy Prime Minister was adamant.
Other measures include the introduction of the GSM-R communication system in the rolling stock of the carriers and the installation of a GPS system in each locomotive in order to have permanent traceability.
Basic materials will be provided in a timely manner to maintain the railway lines in a safe condition. CCTV and sound recording cameras will be installed in a phased manner at workplaces where train movements are monitored. Repairs to the railway infrastructure are prohibited when there is continuous train traffic, i.e. if there are repairs, a train cannot run on the tracks.
Bulgarian State Railways must restrict unauthorised access to trains standing in stations.
Asked about the condition of Bulgarian trains, the minister said he would make every effort to renew the rolling stock. He added that he had assurances from the Czech manufacturer of 25 new trains that the order would be completed on time. “I will visit the plant in the summer because the metro cars are being produced there and are financed under the Operational Programme Transport and Transport Infrastructure,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.
“This is not the case with the 35 electric trains envisaged in the National Recovery and Sustainability Plan. There has not even been a winner announced for the contract and to produce 35 trains in 17 months is impossible. The most that potential contractors can do is to produce half the trains, but this is a substantial amendment to the Plan. That is why I have asked for a meeting at the highest level with representatives of the European Commission and I hope that it will take place as early as February. If we are supported to amend the conditions, we will be able to buy new trains because Bulgarian citizens deserve to have modern transport at last,” the Deputy Prime Minister summarised.