For Lazarovden, BDZ is organizing two special retro trips with a steam locomotive from Sofia to Bankya and back.
The festive train with three thematically decorated passenger cars for Easter will run two courses along the route during the day, BNR specifies.
At 9 am, the train will depart from the Central Station - Sofia and arrive in Bankya at 9:42 am. In the opposite direction, the train will depart at 11:10 am and arrive in Sofia at 11:51 am. The second departure from Sofia is at 1:50 pm, with the train arriving in Bankya at 2:32 pm. The return journey from Bankya is at 16:10 with arrival in Sofia at 16:51.
The special retro compositions will run on the Sofia-Bankya route, combining the authentic atmosphere and the festive mood.
For BNR Kalin Marinov - the head of the "Marketing" department of BDZ, tells that the train will be pulled by a restored Series 26 steam locomotive - a machine with an impressive history, whose original construction dates back to 1908.
The locomotive will lead a composition of three passenger cars, each with a capacity of about 80 seats. Thus, each trip will offer approximately 240 seats for passengers.
The carriages were manufactured in the period 1965-1969 and have been selected to complement the historical spirit of the trip.
"They are the only preserved series of carriages with working steam pipes, so that the steam locomotive can supply water vapor for the heating installation, i.e. to have heating for the passengers on the train. At the moment, only eight carriages remain from this series, added Marinov.
During their stay in Bankya, under appropriate conditions and compliance with all safety measures, visitors will have the opportunity to examine the locomotive up close and even peek into the driver's cabin.
The historic locomotive also has a long operational history.
"There have been two restorations. The basic structure of the machine is authentic from 1908, when it was manufactured. It concerns the frame, the running gear, the axles and the connecting rods. The first restoration was in 1989 in connection with the 100th anniversary of BDZ. This is the moment when it went from a museum exhibit to a working machine again", added Kalin Marinov:
"In the period 1901-1909, 34 steam locomotives of this series were delivered. During that time, these were some of the most powerful freight locomotives. They were mainly used for heavy freight trains on difficult routes and slopes, such as the Iskar Gorge.
For one trip from Sofia to Bankya and back, the locomotive will consume approximately 10 cubic meters of water and up to two tons of coal.
"This means that between the two trips the steam locomotive will have to enter a depot and be refilled with water and re-equipped," the head of the "Marketing" department of BDZ also specified.