Regular Rail Service Between Sofia and Thessaloniki to Resume After 9 Years

A regular railway connection between Sofia and Thessaloniki will be restored next year, Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadjov announced during the first working meeting between Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and the European Commission on the “Black Sea–Aegean Sea” transport corridor. The last direct train between Sofia and Thessaloniki operated in 2017. Karadjov said that Bulgaria, Greece and Romania will jointly seek funding for a modernization project of the Thessaloniki–Sofia–Bucharest railway line. “The idea behind this partnership is simple – to plan, design, permit and build in sync, so that the North–South corridor becomes fully operational quickly, without disruptions, delays or bureaucratic obstacles,” Karadjov said. The meeting in Sofia brought together representatives of the three countries’ transport ministries, the European Commission, the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and key infrastructure authorities. Karadjov identified the construction of “Danube Bridge 3” near Ruse–Giurgiu as Bulgaria’s top priority, stressing the need to move the project from the analysis phase to concrete preparation for construction. The renovation of the existing Danube Bridge is expected to be completed by June this year, alongside the technical design for electrifying its rail section. According to the minister, electrifying the 11-kilometer rail section from Ruse Marshalling Yard to the middle of the bridge will enable seamless rail traffic between Bulgaria and Romania and could reduce freight transport costs by around 30%. Other priority projects include new Danube bridges at Nikopol–Turnu Măgurele and Silistra–Călărași, the revival of the Ruse–Giurgiu ferry line, and the railway axis Svilengrad–Plovdiv–Stara Zagora–Ruse, including a new tunnel under the Balkan Mountains. Greek and Romanian representatives voiced support for Bulgaria’s priorities, while the European Commission noted that joint projects ready for implementation by 2030 could receive funding under the Connecting Europe Facility if submitted by mid-September 2026.