site.btaSuspended Passenger Train Services to Be Reopened

Suspended Passenger Train Services to Be Reopened


Sofia, January 16 (BTA) - Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ) will
stop closing passenger
train services, and those suspended earlier this week will be
reopened, after the Council of Ministers adopts a decree to
this effect on January 21, the Confederation of Independent
Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) said on Friday. Under the
future decree, a 40 million leva capital transfer from the
national budget to BDZ will be transformed into a subsidy.

On Monday, BDZ reduced the number of trains operating in various
parts of the country, because the annual subsidy for public
transport services had been reduced by 40 million leva, and
because the company decided that it did not have enough rolling
stock.

An agreement to stop the train reductions was reached on Friday
between the CITUB leadership, Transport Minister Ivaylo
Moskovski and Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov, CITUB said.

Confirming the decision made, Moskovski said that the suspension
of 38 train services will be reversed but maybe not fully. "No
more trains will be stopped," he added.

BDZ was planning to remove another 90 passenger trains on
February 1. The reversal of the decision is expected to
alleviate tensions among BDZ and passengers.

The additional 40 million leva subsidy to the passenger services
arm of BDZ is awaiting approval by the European Commission but
but the ordinance for their payment will be issued in the
meantime.

The Transport Minister explained that due to technical problems
caused by delayed repairs, the train schedule might have to be
adjusted.

He added that BDZ was forced to make "some unpopular decisions
in order to ensure its long-term existence".

A strategy for financial stabilization of the company will be
prepared by mid-February with a time horizon of seven years or
more. This will comply with a demand by the European Commission
which wants to see guarantees and a vision for the stabilization
of the railway company.

Moskovski said though that measures will absolutely need to be
taken that the unions will have to swallow, including "job
optimization" at some places, to use the Minister's words. He
also said that at other places more workers might have to be
hired.