The government decided to extend by one year the term of the contract for the provision of public transport services by rail , concluded between the Ministry of Transport and "BDZ-Passenger Transport". With the adopted decision, the contract is extended until the end of 2025.
The Ministry of Transport and Communications is currently preparing a procedure for selecting a railway carrier.
One of the reforms included in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan is the conduct of an open, non-discriminatory and competitive procedure, and the scope of the contract should be determined on the basis of a broad market evaluation.
In the course of preparation, extensive market research and two market consultations were carried out for potential interest in these services. Talks are currently underway with the European Commission related to the parameters of the carrier selection procedure.
"The extension of the current contract is an urgent measure, with the aim of not interrupting the transport service of the population in the country, until the procedure for awarding public transport services by rail is carried out. It will provide sufficient time for the preparation of bids and conditions for more operators to participate in the procedure in order to guarantee a competitive award of the service", the government information service states.