Apart from its access to the Black Sea—shared with Romania to the north and Turkey to the south—Bulgaria has long played a relatively peripheral role in transport geography. However, shifting international dynamics and greater cohesion within the European Union—underlined by Sofia’s planned adoption of the euro as its national currency from 1 January 2026—are driving a wave of investment in rail infrastructure that will revitalise the role of the Balkan Peninsula. The projects aim, on one hand, to strengthen connections with Romania and, on the other, to enhance links with Turkey.
The first construction sites have actually been opened on the Romanian side but involve the shared border infrastructure between the two countries. Romania’s rail network manager, Cfr Sa (Compania Națională de Căi Ferate), has awarded a €450 million contract for the modernisation and electrification of the 93-kilometre line linking the key rail hub of Jilava, south of Bucharest, to the Bulgarian border at Giurgiu. The works, scheduled for completion within three years, will bring the line up to the most advanced standards in electrification, European-standard signalling and digitalisation.
Bulgaria’s task is to complete the electrification of the short cross-border section over the Danube Bridge, which will interconnect the two countries’ rail networks under a unified 25 kV AC power system. However, beyond the border, train speeds in Bulgaria drop sharply, meaning there is still significant work ahead to reach European standards.
Bulgaria is also turning its attention to Turkey. The Bulgarian railways are planning a new 70-kilometre line between the two countries, with around 40 kilometres involving the modernisation and electrification of an existing section and about 30 kilometres of new construction.
The new line, entirely within Bulgarian territory, will connect Yambol with Lesovo, where a new rail border crossing with Turkey is to be established. This route will serve as an alternative to the current, heavily congested transboundary line between Svilengrad and Kapıkule. From there, the connection continues to Istanbul via a 150-kilometre high-capacity line forming part of the EU’s Orient/East-Mediterranean TEN-T corridor, although a 20-kilometre cross-border link still needs to be built. The new Bulgarian route will allow freight trains to travel at speeds of up to 120 kilometres per hour.
Piermario Curti Sacchi
