site.btaTransport Minister: National Railway Infrastructure Company's Operations Require Significant Reform, New Priorities

The National Railway Infrastructure Company's (NRIC) operations require significant reform and new priorities, new goals, as the European Union aims for this mode of transport to be the backbone of the transport network in the future, caretaker Transport Minister Georgi Gvozdeykov told bTV on Sunday. This is what the audit he commissioned has shown.

The caretaker minister explained that not only the concept would have to be changed, but also the existence of the enterprise. There are commitments to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the eurozone that there should be no state-owned enterprises in Bulgaria and that they should become either commercial companies or agencies, depending on their activities and the specifics of their work,  Gvozdeykov said.

The NRCI audit was commissioned on June 7 because of the increasing incidents on the railway network in the country. Investigations into them have not yet been completed, Gvozdeykov said. He assured that the problems at NRCI have nothing to do with railway safety.

Gvozdeykov also said that the company with the best ranking in the order for the production of 35 multiple-unit trains, which is set in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), will be announced next week.

Discussions are underway with the European Commission for a permission for the replacement of "push-pull" trains with another type that can be produced in the period up to August 2026 so that the funds earmarked for them under the NRRP can be utilized, the Minister said. The tenders failed because the companies could not produce the trains in question by August 2026, he added.

Responding to a question on whether, if invited, he would remain in the same post in a possible new regular government, Gvozdeykov explained that if he said yes, it would not be at any cost. The price is having clear policies for Bulgaria, he explained. "If there is an understanding, I would consider such an option," he said.