126 years ago, the railway began between Ruse and Tarnovo on a route with a length of about 130 kilometers. On October 8, 1900, the line was opened and put into operation, becoming an important connection between the Danube port, Northern Bulgaria and the interior of the country. Historical information connects the event with the construction of a railway that changed the movement of people, goods and mail between Ruse and the old capital.
The beginning was set several years earlier. The 1895 Law on the Development of the Railway Network provided for the construction of the Ruse - Tarnovo - Stara Zagora line through the Stara Planina Mountains. The idea was to provide a connection between Northern and Southern Bulgaria. However, after discussions in the National Assembly, it was decided to first build the section between Ruse and Tarnovo, and to study different routes for the passage through the Balkans.
The construction was awarded through a tender on October 12, 1896, and the first sod was laid on August 4, 1897. The work was carried out by the Main Construction Enterprise, led by the entrepreneur and engineer Stefan Simeonov. For its time, the project was complex because the route passes through diverse terrain and requires the construction of a number of large facilities.
Bridges, tunnels and difficult terrain
Among the most significant sites on the line are the bridges over the Yantra River near Byala and over Rusenski Lom near Ruse. Two more iron bridges were built, as well as the first two tunnels in the Tarnovo region. The route is completed with a minimum radius of curves of 250 meters and a maximum slope of 26 per mille. Rails weighing 31.2 kilograms per meter were used.
There is also a clarification on the date of launch. In some publications, October 8, 1900 is indicated both as the day of the official opening and the day of commissioning. According to historical information published by “Yantra DNES“, on this date the line was handed over to the state, and four days later the first ceremonial train with official guests passed along it.
Connection between the port and the interior
The opening of the line gave Ruse more direct railway access to Veliko Tarnovo and the regions of Central Northern Bulgaria. It supported trade and administrative connections, and later became part of the larger direction to Southern Bulgaria. Today, the section is part of railway line No. 4 Ruse - Podkova.
The importance of the North-South direction remains relevant today. “The development of the North-South transport direction is of strategic importance not only for Bulgaria, but also for Europe“, said Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Dimitar Nedyalkov in 2023 in the context of the development of transport connections in the region.
Sources: tvn.bg, dnesbg.com, banker.bg