site.bta BDZ Passenger Services Deny Socialists' Allegations that Train Services Have Been Suspended

BDZ Passenger Services Deny Socialists' Allegations that Train Services Have Been Suspended

Sofia, August 3 (BTA) - BDZ Passenger Services EOOD has not suspended train services but has merely introduced temporary changes in the timetables of some of these services, BDZ Holding EAD said in a press release on Tuesday.

It reacted to a warning issued by the Bulgarian Socialist Party on Monday about the suspension of over 70 train services, which prompted the Socialists to demand the resignation of the national rail carrier's management.

BDZ Holding also recalled that BDZ locomotives were last overhauled in 1993-1996, and that the last locomotive repair plant in Bulgaria was closed down in 2002. Nevertheless, the company has arranged urgent repairs of its locomotive fleet so as to ensure compliance with the timetables as from September 15, 2016.

"BDZ has never been in a better financial position since the beginning of the crisis and the risk of bankruptcy," the press release says. "BDZ Passenger Services and BDZ Freight Services have reported a positive financial result for the first half of 2016. As a result of restructuring and reorganization, the debts to creditor banks have been reduced by 400 million leva."

Also on Monday, Left MP Georgi Svilenski said that while services were being suspended, the BDZ management has appointed football players on a monthly salary of over 1,500 leva, while, by comparison, the monthly pay of a train driver averages 600 leva.

Regarding the BDZ's sports activity, the company specified on Tuesday that the Lokomotiv BDZ Football Club is a non-profit legal person separate from the BDZ, which is financed entirely through sponsorship and has nothing to do with BDZ's finances. All members of the football team are employees of the Holding BDZ subsidiaries.