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Bulgaria: Railway Information

The first railway line in Bulgaria that was entirely designed and built by Bulgarian engineers and designers, connecting Caribrod, Sofia and Vakarel, was opened on 1 August 1888. The first electrified track, between Sofia and Plovdiv was put into operation in 1963. The restoration of two steam locomotives, several coaches and wagons was planned for 2005. For special occasions, the railway network of Bulgaria uses retro rolling stock for entertainment, tourist and special travel purposes.

Eurail Passes for Bulgaria:

Bulgarian railway company

Logo Bulgarian Railways

The national railway company of Bulgaria is called BDZ (Bulgarian State Railways - Bâlgarski Dârzhavni Zheleznitsi).

Visit the website of the Bulgarian railway company BDZ: English version / Bulgarian.


Network

There are various connections with other European countries:

  • Sofia - Belgrade - one day train and one night train
  • Sofia - Bucharest - one day train and one night train
  • Sofia - Thessaloniki
  • Svilengrad - Alexandroupolis
  • Bulgaria Express from Sofia to Kiev, Moscow, Minsk and Saint Petersburg.
  • The Black Sea Train circulates during certain periods of the year from Moscow and Minsk to Varna and vice versa.
  • The Bucharest / Istanbul Express - circulating on the route Bucharest / Stara Zagora / Istanbul.

Special trains

You can travel by train through Europe on a large variety of special trains. Examples are high-speed trains, scenic trains or night trains.

Special trains mostly require a small supplement or a reservation fee from Eurail Pass holders. See the list of supplements for international trains and the information about train reservations. You can plan your trip with the help of online timetables.