BNT reported another nightmare trip with BDZ. In order to get from Varna to Plovdiv, instead of traveling by fast train, they changed two trains and one bus. BDZ explained the situation with an accident with a private carrier on the route.
For Savina Ivanova's family, the trip from the seaside capital to Plovdiv began at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday. She says that initially the train was running exactly on schedule. Before Yambol station, however, the passengers, about 80 people, were informed that they would be transported to Stara Zagora station by buses and then by another train.
Savina Ivanova: "We had to wait about 30 more minutes for the other bus to arrive, as well as the train drivers, because there were none. And somewhere around 2:06 p.m. we left Stara Zagora for Plovdiv."
There was also a stop in Dimitrovgrad to turn the locomotive around. And so in a total of nearly 8 hours they reached their final destination.
Savina Ivanova: "I would like to ask how long it will take to travel so long, now they are talking about an express, fewer stations, five hours from Sofia to the sea, hopefully it will happen."
According to BDZ, the delay was 68 minutes, and the transportation by buses was necessary due to the derailment of a freight train between the Kermen and Konyovo stations of a private carrier. According to railway employees, passengers were notified of the incident, but Savina says she later found out about it online.
Savina Ivanova: "I was outraged that after the incident happened at night, people could have been warned at the starting station and at each station where they bought tickets, if they had another option and alternative, not to travel with a transfer, perhaps most of them would have given up."
BDZ announced that they have 76 air-conditioned carriages, 48 air-conditioned railcars and 30 sleeping carriages at their disposal, not all of which are in constant operation. However, the family is already thinking about another alternative for the return journey.