Starting this week BDZ will increase trains between Sofia and Burgas. This became clear during a meeting between the Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Gvozdeykov and the management of BDZ Holding EAD and BDZ-Passenger Transport EOOD. The minister demanded a full investigation of all circumstances related to the train from Sofia to Burgas on Friday night. ‘It is absurd for passengers to travel in this way when they have bought a ticket and someone has not done their job’, he added.
Regarding the allegations by passengers that there were empty sleeping cars in the train, which were locked, BDZ assured that absolutely all seats in them were sold and occupied. The problem with the train is due to the fact that it is unreserved and stops at unmanned stations and passengers purchase their tickets directly from transport staff. This prevents the restriction of ticket purchases because the conductor has no connection to the ticketing system. ‘We are starting to gradually equip the trains with electronic ticketing devices that will completely solve this problem’, said BDZ-PP manager Ventsislav Slavkov. Such devices are already working on a pilot basis on the Sofia—Vidin line. A further 140 are to be put into service, with priority being given to equipping the busiest trains in the country.
The railway carrier explained that from today measures have been taken to increase the composition of the night train from Sofia to Burgas, including an additional carriage to serve the growing summer passenger flow. From this Friday two more carriages will be added to the consist, and from 29 June another train will start on the same route. This will bring the total number of trains between the capital and the seaside city to 10 per day.
From today a second train with 4 of the newly delivered German wagons is already travelling between Sofia and Burgas. It leaves the capital at 6:40 am and returns back in the afternoon.