The development of rail transport is very late in Bulgaria but it is doing its best to catch up, Transport Minister Georgi Gvozdeikov said here Wednesday during the fourth edition of the Green Transition Forum. He pointed out that under the National Recovery Plan, Bulgaria has funding available to modernize rail transport.
The Minister said that he has signed contracts for the production of nine shunting locomotives which can be attached to trains. The contractor is a Bulgarian company. The Minister also explained that the first locomotives should be ready next week.
Also, Bulgaria has signed a contract for the delivery and production of seven double-decker trains, with the possibility of making them 10. Gvozdeikov explained that Bulgaria has a problem with the delivery of 20 trains, which are for long distances. The problem was caused by the public procurement legislation because the time for the delivery was used up by appeals, he explained.
He said transport creates a quarter of carbon emissions and limiting this impact should be a major mission.
Gvozdeykov also pointed out that Bulgaria should start thinking about sorting out the freight traffic on the territory of the country. He mentioned as an example Vidin, where he visited a week ago. "It struck me that a huge amount of traffic cloggs Vidin and Ruse. Obviously Bulgaria is not ready to manage this traffic," Gvozdeikov said. He argued that building buffer parking lots inside the country would be a good start.
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