The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport insists on investing funds in Budget 2026 for the repair of outdated railway depots. His argument is that they will be bases for servicing the new 60 Skoda and Alstom trains that Bulgaria bought with European funds under the Recovery and Sustainability Mechanism. This is clear from a press release of the Ministry of Transport, without specifying how much money Grozdan Karadjov will ask for.
At the moment, the coalition partners in the government – GERB, BSP and ITN – cannot agree on the budget for next year. A number of economists, including the governor of the BNB, Dimitar Radev, have already warned that if the deficits are not cut, there is a risk that Bulgaria will end up in the Romanian scenario – high inflation and freezing of incomes.
Undoubtedly, the railway depots need a major overhaul, but the manufacturing companies “Skoda” and “Alstom” are contractually obliged to provide a base for the maintenance of the new trains for the next 15 years.
At the end of September, the Czech company “Skoda” announced that it had signed a contract with the Bulgarian company TTL for the lease of a depot, in which the 25 new electric trains that the company will deliver will be fully serviced in the coming years.
So far, the Romanian branch of the French Alstom has not officially announced whether it has signed a contract for a depot in our country.
Karadjov on a tour of the railway depot
Today, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadjov visited the depots of “BDZ – Passenger Transport” in Ruse, Gorna Oryahovitsa and Mezdra.
In his words the railway depots in Sofia, Plovdiv and Gorna Oryahovitsa will be the main bases for daily maintenance and storage of the new 60 Škoda and Alstom locomotives, which are expected to arrive in Bulgaria next year.
“Until the delivery of the new trains, we must have provided reliable places for their storage and maintenance. Without modern operating bases, the new rolling stock will be at risk of faster depreciation and vandalism“commented Karadzhov.
The BDZ depots were built more than 60 years ago and have not been modernized since then. In their current form, they do not meet the requirements for servicing the new electric trains, noted the Minister of Transport.
“The available sheds are too short, we don’t have machines to wash the trains, nor vacuum systems to clean the toilets, and there are less than 6 months left until the start of deliveries of the new locomotives. That is why we urgently need to start the repairs and expansion of the halls, taking into account the dimensions and technological requirements of the new trains“the deputy prime minister pointed out.
He added that despite the outdated infrastructure, the enterprises have accumulated valuable experience and skills from the staff of “BDZ – Passenger Transport”, which will become the basis for the new model of operational support. “The buildings and machines have fallen into disrepair, but the railway spirit is alive in the hearts and souls of the BDZ railway workers”said Karadjov.
The Deputy Prime Minister will insist that funds be provided in the 2026 budget not only for the three main depots – Sofia, Plovdiv and Gorna Oryahovitsa, but also for 5 more auxiliary operating points for servicing passenger trains at the end points of their routes – in Vidin, Ruse, Varna, Burgas and Sofia.
“Without adequate conditions for maintenance and protection of the new rolling stock, we will waste an investment of almost BGN 2 billion. We must act immediately”said Karadzov.
Skoda signed a contract with TTL
At the end of September, the Czech company “Skoda Group” announced that it had signed a contract with the Bulgarian company TTL for the lease of a depot, in which the full service of the 25 new electric trains will be carried out.
“Skoda” signed the contract for more than 500 million euros for the delivery of the motors in September 2024. The company is also obliged to provide the maintenance of the machines for a period of 15 years. For this purpose, dozens of new employees will be hired in the country, said the announcement of the Czech company.
“The new depot will enable us to ensure high quality maintenance and long-term durability of the trains we produce for Bulgaria. This is a significant success for this strategic project and proves our ambition to be a reliable partner in the development of modern railway transport in the region.”said Petr Novotny, CEO of Skoda Group at the time.
According to the contract, the company will provide comprehensive maintenance of all delivered trains – from daily activities to large-scale service operations, guaranteeing maximum sustainability and safety. For this purpose, highly qualified specialists will be recruited. The team will include both “Skoda Group” personnel and dozens of newly hired employees from Bulgaria, with which the company will support employment in the local labor market.
“We are convinced that the manufacturer is the best partner for this service. Our experts know the vehicles in detail and can provide the highest standard of maintenance in the long term”added Petr Novotny.
“Skoda Group” plans to expand its expertise in the maintenance of trains from other manufacturers, as well as those from different years of production. In the future, the leased depot will be able to serve all trains moving on the Bulgarian railways, it was stated in the company’s announcement.
The new 25 Škoda trains have 300 seats, air conditioning and smooth movement with minimal noise. The contract covers the supply of 25 four-car electric trains, as well as 15 years of full maintenance. The total value of the contract amounts to over half a billion euros.
Four years ago the company also delivered 30 trolleybuses to Sofia Škoda 27Tr, conforming to the latest European standards for full accessibility, worth around 20 million euros.
The company is currently also producing 8 trains for the Sofia Metro, the delivery of which was confirmed two years ago.
“Skoda Group” is part of the Czech PPF Group – one of the largest investors in our country, which is the owner of bTV television and half of the mobile operator “Yetel”.
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