„The metro is the backbone of public transport and must develop together with buses, trams, trolleybuses and feeder transport. When these elements work together, people are given a real choice to leave their cars and get to their destination faster and more conveniently. For me, it is important to look at least 10 years ahead, and not to think about who will cut the next lane“. This was stated by the Mayor of Sofia Vasil Terziev at the opening of the three new metro stations on Blvd. „Gen. Vladimir Vazov“ – „Georgi Asparuhov Stadium“, „Bessarabia“ and „Gen. Vladimir Vazov“.
“This is a team effort – years of work, technological and organizational challenges and, of course, securing serious funding. I thank everyone who participated in the implementation – the team of “Metropolitan“, the designers and builders, the colleagues from the Sofia Municipality, the previous administration and all the governments that contributed to this project“, said Terziev.
The lines of the Sofia metro reach 55 km, and thousands more passengers will rely on it every day. With the extension of Line 3 along “Gen. Vladimir Vazov“ Blvd., the “Hadzhi Dimitar“, “Suhata Reka“ and “Levski“ get a connection to the most convenient public transport.
The new 3-kilometer section in the “Poduyane“ area provides a faster and more predictable journey for over 45,000 people daily. For people from “Levski“, “Suhata Reka“ and “Hadzhi Dimitar“ the journey to the center will take about 12 minutes. It is expected that car traffic in the area will decrease by up to 25%. The extension will also improve access to the metro for people entering Sofia via the “Hemus“ motorway.
Construction
The section was built in about four years, after construction began on March 21, 2022. It was built entirely underground under some of the most difficult construction conditions along the Sofia metro route.
The area has high groundwater and weak soils, and the station and tunnel structures are located below the groundwater level. This required the use of both standard and special construction methods during construction.
The maximum depth of the metro stations and section tunnels is 14 meters, and the distance between individual stations is from 750 to 1240 meters.
Improving the urban environment
Along with the construction of the metro, a major part of “Gen. Vladimir Vazov“ Blvd. was renovated, including the roadways and engineering networks.
The construction of a new buffer parking lot for 100 cars next to the “Gen. Vladimir Vazov“ metro station continues, which is expected to be completed in September. The goal is to encourage combined travel and limit the entry of cars into the center.
A second parking lot is also being prepared next to the “Bessarabia“ metro station with about 400 seats, and the Urban Mobility Center is about to select a contractor.
Reducing travel intervals
Four additional high-tech metro trains have been put into service to serve the new section. This will allow travel intervals to be shortened by about 30 seconds.
The new trains are equipped with high-tech systems that automatically determine their location along the route and maintain continuous communication with the traffic control center.
Line 3 of the Sofia metro has implemented some of the most advanced technologies in public rail transport, setting new standards for safety and efficiency. A modern telecommunications system for train traffic control and management (TCMS) has been built, with automation level 3 (GoA3), which allows automated train management with an operator on board.
The infrastructure allows for the future transition to level 4 (GoA4) - fully automated operation.
The development of the metro is part of the larger transformation of transport in Sofia
The metro is the backbone of the city's transport system, and its full potential is unleashed when it is well connected to other types of public transport. Therefore, in parallel with the construction of the new lines, the Sofia Municipality is working on a comprehensive modernization of urban mobility.
With the adopted optimization of bus service, residents of the “Kremikovtsi“ district will have direct access to the new metro stations.
The municipality's efforts are aimed not only at expanding the metro network, but also at renewing ground transport in order to provide a real alternative to the car. A comprehensive financial model is being developed for modernizing the rolling stock and introducing new buses, trolleybuses, electric buses and trams.
„In order to continue at the necessary pace, we must ensure a long-term financial framework for the development of urban transport. After many months of work, we managed to secure over 260 million euros in grant funding from the government and the European Commission, which will support both the development of the metro and the renovation of ground transport,“ said Deputy Mayor for Transport Viktor Chaushev.
The European funding provides 265 million euros, which will be directed towards the expansion of the metro and the purchase of 20 new low-floor trams, 75 trolleybuses and 50 electric buses with charging infrastructure.
“European funding allows us to take an important step now, but we must also think about the coming years. That is why the municipality also envisages long-term investments through a loan to continue the renovation of the rolling stock and transport infrastructure,“ added Chaushev.
It is planned to provide approximately 300 million euros through a loan for the next stage of the renovation of public transport. With this resource, it is expected that about 200 new buses, 20 new trams and approximately 75 new trolleybuses will be purchased, as well as investments will be made in the transport infrastructure.
Future development of the metro
The Sofia Municipality is preparing an expansion of the metro network with three sections in the western, southern and southeastern directions.
The extension from the metro station “Lyulin“ to the Ring Road has a 2 km route and two stations. Two contracts have been signed with contractors for the section and construction is expected to begin by the end of the year. The route will be built under “Tsaritsa Yoanna“ Blvd., and the new extension will add over 30,000 passengers daily.
An extension to “Studentski grad“ is planned with five new stations and 5 km of route from the “Vitosha“ metro station.
An extension with three stations to the lower station of the Simeonovski lift at the Ring Road is also being prepared.
New extensions to “Obelya“ and “Slatina“ are forthcoming, as the Sofia Municipality continues work on preparing the next stages of the development of the metro network.