With the implementation of new systems for signaling and telecommunications in all renovated railway lines in the country, we reach European levels of safety in the railway transport. This was announced by Deputy Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications Velik Zanchev while traveling with speed train in the section Plovdiv - Septemvri. During the event a demonstration of the functionalities of the new signaling and telecommunications systems in the direction Septemvri - Plovdiv was made.
“About a month ago the implementation of the railway rehabilitation project from Septemvri to Plovdiv was completed. This is the second fully rehabilitated section in the country allowing the trains to travel at 200 km/h, the Deputy Minister said. Prior to the modernization, the distance between the two towns by train was 45-48 minutes, and now the time is reduced to 30 minutes”, specified Velik Zanchev.
Deputy Minister Zanchev added that the funds invested in the construction of the new security systems are just over BGN 91 million under OP Transport 2007 - 2013 and Thales Austria GmbH have shown an extremely high level of implementation of the project. Analogous systems are already operating in the direction Plovdiv - Svilengrad - Turkish border, and by the middle of October National Railway Infrastructure Company will announce the tender for their implementation on the railway line from Plovdiv to Burgas, amounting to BGN 196 million.
“Within two months the Intermodal terminal in Plovdiv will be put into operation and I can freely say that the town is becoming an important, strategic transport center for the country”, said Zanchev. With the realization of all road and railway projects in the region, we create conditions for increasing the capacity for handling cargoes and increasing the competitiveness of the Bulgarian transport industry, he added.
The event was organized by Thales Austria GmbH and the participants were: Alfred Veider, CEO, the Ambassador of the Republic of Austria Roland Hauser, representatives of the French Embassy in Bulgaria, representatives of the Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications as well as representatives of National Railway Infrastructure Company etc.
