The National Railways has concluded contracts for 765 million euros without having the money to pay for the projects. This was announced by the Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Peev during a briefing.
He gave examples of contracts related to the safety of the railway infrastructure, including the supply of ballast for the railway, that have been delayed for years. “They take ballast from one section and put it on another“.
“There is a contract for 43 million euros for pruning bushes. We immediately terminated it“, emphasized Peev.
“Contracts have been concluded, but not all expropriation procedures have been carried out, there are no documents available, the contract has started, but the activity cannot start. When the activities begin, the companies want the contracts to be indexed. From 2024 to 2026, advances of over 30 million euros have been paid on projects without any activity on the project having begun“, the Minister of Transport also explained.
According to Georgi Peev, when designing the railways, a single speed was set for the passage of trains, but due to poor implementation, speed restrictions are imposed.
“I spoke to many people in the industry. I did not hear a single argument in favor of the existence of “BDZ Holding“ from any of them. This structure complicates the system. BDZ has liabilities of 30 million euros. All are overdue. This indebtedness creates a risk. The rolling stock is a serious concern. Everyone is talking about the new trains. Over 300 wagons that operate on the network were manufactured in the 1970s of the last train. There is a problem in the maintenance of the “Siemens“ trains, the minister added.
“Previous governments signed contracts for the notorious German wagons, whose air conditioners fail at temperatures above 35 degrees. This problem has been identified, but despite this, a new contract was signed for another 91 wagons, with the technical parameters being the same. The Technical University and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences will carry out preventive maintenance of these systems for the summer, but I cannot guarantee that everything will function“.
“The “Skoda“ and “Alstom“ trains are wonderful, but what is the state doing to accept them? In order for them to be put into use, the drivers must be trained. They will most likely perform their functions after the fall. The new trains are coming, but they cannot be serviced in the archaic way. New service stations are needed. We have a modern fleet, but we do not have what is necessary to welcome and service it“.
BDZ – Freight Transport is a bankrupt enterprise. The company has debts of over 60 million euros, with about 80 percent of them overdue. Although the company offers cheaper prices, the transported cargo is decreasing, said Transport Minister Georgi Peev.