Minister Jeliazkov: Within 2 years travelling by rail from Sofia to Varna will take 4 hours

Within 2 years travelling by rail from Sofia to Varna through the Karnobat Railway Junction will take 4 hours. This is what the Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications Rossen Jeliazkov said at the opening today of the renovated Karnobat Railway Station. The Minister added that this would be possible after the modernization of the Karnobat-Sindel Railway Line, which is already underway.

"The new building of Karnobat Railway Station, together with the construction of the railway lines and telecommunications, are the result of consistent reform and renovation of the railways in our country", Minister Jeliazkov said.

The reconstruction of the Karnobat Railway Station Complex is part of a larger project, which also includes the railway stations Poduyane, Iskar, Kazichene, Stara Zagora and Nova Zagora. Minister Jeliazkov said that the modernization of the railway stations in Nova Zagora and Aytos will start in the near future. He reminded that a number of reception buildings have been renovated so far, incl. Sofia Central Railway Station and Poduyane Railway Station.

According to Minister Jeliazkov, in the new programming period huge funds have been set for railway infrastructure and clear projects and deadlines have been defined. "According to the Recovery and Resilience Plan, one of the prerequisites for project selection is their readiness for immediate implementation," Jeliazkov added.

"We have provided funding for a number of projects in Northern Bulgaria related to digitalization, telecommunications, development of intermodal connections," the Minister said, adding that this indicates good organizational and project readiness of the National Railway Infrastructure Company. "Yesterday we started the track development of Sofia Central Railway Station, and the modernization of the railway connection with the Serbian border is underway. In the new programming period, a railway connection with the Republic of Northern Macedonia will be built", Minister Jeliazkov explained.

The Reconstruction of Karnobat Railway Station Complex Project is worth BGN 4.1 million, provided by the Operational Program on Transport and Transport Infrastructure 2014-2020. It includes a complete architectural renovation of the building and the adjacent spaces, construction of modern systems and installations, and equal access for all citizens.