Deutsche Bahn

Starting Monday, August 19, four of the newly delivered German passenger cars will be introduced on the high-speed train service between Sofia and Varna. The train will depart from Sofia's Central Station at 10:00 AM, and an additional four cars will be added to the high-speed train leaving Varna at 9:25 AM.

Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ) has introduced new passenger cars from Germany, supplied by Deutsche Bahn. The inaugural train featuring these modernized passenger cars is set to depart on the Sofia-Burgas route, with a scheduled departure time of 16:30.

A month behind schedule, the first 19 German railroad cars for Bulgarian Railways (BDZ) have arrived, according to a report by bTV. These railroad cars are designated to serve the busiest routes, including those from Sofia to Varna, Burgas, and Ruse. They are expected to start transporting passengers by mid-June at the latest.

Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ) revealed that train delays, caused by them in 2023, amounted to less than 2%, citing unregulated railway crossings as a primary cause. Vencislav Slavkov, manager of "Passenger Transport" at BDZ, emphasized the challenges posed by people and animals crossing railway lines without proper regulation.

"Bulgarian Railways" (BDZ-Passenger Services EOOD) has inked a contract with Deutsche Bahn for the supply of 76 state-of-the-art passenger wagons. This agreement marks a pivotal moment in Bulgaria's transportation sector, signaling a tangible step towards modernization and enhanced service quality.

Germans faced more travel upheaval after train drivers announced Sunday a new 24-hour stoppage, hot on the heels of a strike announcement by Lufthansa cabin crew.

The GDL train drivers' union said the latest strike affecting passenger services would start at 0100 GMT on Tuesday and last until 0100 GMT Wednesday.

Germany was plunged into disarray on Thursday as strikes erupted across multiple fronts, disrupting travel plans for millions and compounding the economic challenges of a nation already mired in recession.

A new sleeper service between Berlin and Paris arrived in the French capital on Dec. 12, reflecting a growing drive for night trains as an alternative to short-haul flights.

The 14-hour nocturnal trip from the German to the French capital is to run three times a week and is scheduled to become daily from October next year.

A group of companies, including British transport group Mobico (formerly National Express), plans to launch a high-speed train service to rival Eurostar using the Channel Tunnel.

"There has been discussions in a group of industry parties," a source close to the matter told AFP, confirming information first reported by the Financial Times.

Germany has averted a crippling 50-hour train strike as transport union EVG on Saturday called off the industrial action after reaching a wage deal with rail operator Deutsche Bahn.

Delays and disruptions are however still expected in the next days across the rail network, Deutsche Bahn said, as it needed to work through the mass changes that had arisen because of the planned strike.