The claim that profitable railways were intended for private carriers does not fit of the truth. This was said by the Acting Minister of Transport and Communications, Krasimira Stoyanova, during an open discussion about the upcoming procedure for awarding public transport services by rail.
Good rail transport is made by opening up the market – which is the best, to provide the best service, believes the transport minister, quoted by BTA.
We are planning to divide the railway network for passenger transport into three lots, Minister Stoyanova pointed out. She recalled that the three lots are planned to be: Sofia - Plovdiv - Burgas; Sofia - Gorna Oryahovitsa - Varna; everyone else. The duration of the contract for each specific position is eight years. Effective implementation of the contracts is planned to start from 2026, it became known from the words of Minister Krasimira Stoyanova.
No allocation of lots and lines to anyone. BDZ can participate for any line, commented the acting Minister of Transport.
Krasimira Stoyanova assured that there will be no loss of jobs for employees in the railway sector, and the idea of dividing lots is only to increase the quality of the service.
One of the first meetings I did when I became a caretaker minister was on rail. This is the transport that the state needs the most. Not to be managed by the state, but to make the best policy in this transport. The aim is to be convenient, safe and economical for the state. Only if we succeed in combining these elements, we will have a good transport service, Minister Stoyanova also told the participants in the discussion.
Competition between bus and rail transport must continue because it gives us the opportunity to choose, she also pointed out.
Minister Stoyanova also said that at her today's meeting with union representatives, it was emphasized that she does not have political support for such a change and the division of the country's railway map into lots. I don't have the political support, but I hope we get the public support, she said.
Today's discussion is attended by representatives of trade union organizations, the scientific community, experts, journalists, as well as the former Ministers of Transport Nikolay Vasilev and Petar Mutafchiev.