Five working groups will prepare specific solutions on the key issues related to the provision of the railway service from December 13, 2026. The Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Peev gave a two-week deadline for finalizing the work on the preparation for the provision of a railway passenger service by a state and a private carrier. At the beginning of 2026, a contract was signed by which “Ivkoni Express“ will take over 25% of passenger rail transport.
At a meeting today, Minister Georgi Peev and Deputy Minister Tsveta Timeva requested a report on the preparation from representatives of BDZ, NRIC, “Ivkoni Express“ and the Executive Agency “Railway Administration“. Five expert teams were assigned to work on the following topics: rolling stock; personnel relocation; bases and maintenance; traffic schedule; ticket sales.
“We need to find a reasonable way to implement the contract that the current team of the Ministry inherited. The contract is a fact. It is part of the implementation of the commitments under the Recovery and Resilience Plan, the procedure has been completed and the contract must be implemented“, said Minister Georgi Peev.
According to him, the goal is to clarify the current status of the preparation with joint efforts, to identify the processes that need to be accelerated, and to ensure the correct implementation of the commitments made in the interest of society.
“You will receive full support from the Ministry of Transport and Communications within the framework of the law. We need to see how far we have come, what needs to be done, which processes need to be accelerated and how the administrative process is going. I hope we will achieve a positive final result“, the minister pointed out.
One of the highlights of the meeting was the rolling stock. In this regard, Minister Peev stressed the need for “Ivkoni Express“ to take the necessary actions, in addition to the trains provided for in the contract, which BDZ will provide, to also provide its own rolling stock. “I will not allow BDZ to be left without the opportunity to provide its share of railway transportation“, Minister Peev was categorical.
The issue of transferring employees to the private carrier was also discussed. The minister insisted on providing clear guarantees for the social rights of the employees who will transfer to “Ivkoni Express“. “People must have guarantees for the entire 12-year period, for a full social package and conditions comparable to those provided by BDZ“, said Georgi Peev.
He stressed that the Ministry of Transport and Communications will provide full assistance within its powers to overcome the challenges that have arisen and to promptly move forward with the necessary administrative procedures. The goal is for the service, subject to the contract, to be fully implemented and in accordance with legal requirements.