In Brief

 

Large railway projects are delayed

The report, delivered by the Minister of Transport, Petar Mutafchiev, on the activity of the Ministry during the first year of his mandate, presented information about certain delays in the implementation of large infrastructure projects. According to the Minister, the delays mainly concern the reconstruction of the Sofia airport, the Plovdiv-Svilengrad railway line and the construction of Danube Bridge 2. The Minister underlined the fact that the problems had been inherited from the previous ministerial team, while experts consider that such delays were accumulated even at the time of the first transport minister in the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha cabinet, Plamen Petrov.

 

Enhancements of control over BDZ property

By virtue of a decision adopted by the Board of Directors of BDZ EAD, an additional sector “Property and Traffic Safeguarding” has been established with the “Safety, Control and Internal Security” Division. The decision came as a result of the analysis, conducted in compliance with an order by the Transport Minister, Petar Mutafchiev. The main tasks of the sector refer to the control, registering, analysing, and elaboration of measures for the prevention of encroachments upon railway property. The sector will also coordinate and assess the performance of private security companies guarding BDZ facilities. As of the 1stSeptember this year, 12 new employees have been recruited in the subdivisions of the BDZ to perform these tasks.

 

A discussion on the future of the railway

In his presentation on the condition of railway transport during the discussion organised by the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria at end-July, the Minister of Transport, Petar Mutafchiev, declared that the State should undertake the commitment for covering 50% of BDZ costs. According to the Minister, this would mean that State subsidies should increase from the current BGN74 million to BGN90 million. The analysis, conducted by the ministry, shows that the annual maintenance of the railway network and the enhancement of train traffic speeds will require BGN120 million per year. The company transported 155,000 tons of cargo more than in the same period in 2005. The company has to disburse credits for 2006 amounting to BGN58 million. Both the Minister and the Chairman of the Parliamentary Transport Commission, Prof. Iordan Mirchev, consider that the splitting up of the railways into railway operator and infrastructure manager was not performed adequately and did not serve its initial purposes.

 

The train from Cherven Briag to Zlatna Panega will run again

During his visit to Cherven Briag, the Minister of Transport, Petar Mutafchiev, promised to restore the operation of the passenger railway service between this town and Zlatna Panega, which was terminated in 2002 (since when the line has been used for freight services only). The latest studies of traffic between the two towns show a tendency for growth in daily commuting of almost one thousand employees of the “Beta” and “Palfinger” companies. According to the Minister, when passenger railway traffic is restored, transport services will be performed by a Desiro diesel train-set from Siemens.

 

The railways resolve legal property issues

By October this year, BDZ EAD and the NRIC will resolve all legal issues concerning the ownership of immovable assets, and will subsequently sell some of them through tenders, while other assets will be offered to investors for transformation into trade centres and hotels. According to the Transport Minister, Petar Mutafchiev, both companies will have to present the whole documentation package for each immovable asset and a statement on the purposes of its utilisation. Those assets, which are not utilised, will be sold and the revenue from the sales will be used for covering the debts of the NRIC and BDZ EAD. It is highly probable that by the end of the year, the large stations – Sofia, Plovdiv, Pleven, Gorna Oryahovitsa and Rousse – will be concessioned.

 

Railway Forum 2006

On 9th-10thOctober, in the main building of the “Saints Cyril and Methodius” Veliko Tarnovo University will host the international Railway Forum 2006, organised by the Association of the European Unions of Railway Engineers (UEEIV), the Scientific and Technical Transport Union (STTU), the National Association – Permanent Way Engineers Society (NAPWES) and the Federation of Scientific and Technical Unions in Bulgaria (FSTTU) with the assistance of the Ministry of Transport, BDZ EAD and the NRIC. The forum will be held under the aegis of the Transport Minister, Petar Mutafchiev. The motto of the forum is “Infrastructure, Technologies and Comfort”. Among the participants will be the managers of the leading companies in the sector, as well as eminent scientists and experts in the sphere of railway transport.

 

EUR10 million for railway line reconstruction

According to a press release in the electronic register of the European commission, ISPA will allocate EUR9 million for the reconstruction works in the Plovdiv-Bourgas and Mezdra-GornaOryahovitsa line sections. The total amount of the two projects is EUR10.48 million, of which EUR1.5 million will be provided by the Bulgarian Government. About EUR6.8million have been allocated for the rehabilitation of the Mezdra-Gorna Oryahovitsa railway line, within which two line sections – Pleven-Boutovo and Kounino-Yasen – will be reconstructed. The tender for the selection of a Contractor will most probably be launched in April 2007. As regards the Plovdiv-Bourgas line, EUR3.5 million have been allocated – in particular for the Tserkovski-Karnobat, Mihailovo-Kaloyanovets and Drouzhba-Bourgas line sections.

 

Stations in Pernik region to be rebuilt

According to the Transport Minister, Petar Mutafchiev, four railway stations along Sofia-Koulata line will undergo major reconstruction. BGN100,000 have been allocated for the reconstruction of Pernik central station and for Pernik Marshalling Yard, where freight trains are constantly attacked, a further BGN95,000 have been reserved. The railway station in the villages of Dolni Rakovets and Galabnik will also undergo reconstruction. Furthermore, a new railway station will be built to replace the current railway stop “Metal”, located in the “Iztok” residential area in Pernik.

 

Railway accident at Kazichene

On 16th August, the locomotive of the fast train No 8615 from Sofia to Bourgas crashed into some derailed freight wagons at Kazichene station. The locomotive derailed as a result of the crash. There were no casualties. Just a little while before the accident, the last five wagons of a freight train from Plovdiv to Sofia derailed at the exit points of Kazichene station. The passenger train crashed into them. Fortunately, the drivers of the locomotive noticed the impending danger and managed to reduce significantly the running speed. After the accident the passengers were transported by buses, provided by BDZ, to Elin Pelin station and continued their journey by train from there. Because of the accident, the express trains from Sofia to Plovdiv were temporarily redirected via Karlovo. The Transport Minister, Petar Mutafchiev, ordered the immediate establishment of a commission to investigate the accident.

 

The Minister issued an order to reward the two locomotive drivers of the fast train, Roumen Stoilov and Bozhidar Velev, for their exceptional professionalism and timely actions, which helped prevent human casualties and significant damage to equipment during the accident.

 

Action taken to solve problems with ZS

Following an order by the Minister of Transport, Petar Mutafchiev, the management teams of BDZ EAD and the NRIC analysed the reasons for non-observance of the timetable of international transit freight trains via the railway border crossing between Bulgaria and Serbia. The two companies initiated a meeting with the Bulgarian border authorities during which the parties decided that, as of 16thAugust, the border authorities will check two trains simultaneously at the Bulgarian border station with a view to reducing the border stopping times. Representatives of BDZ and of the Serbian railways (ZS) met as well, and elaborated further measures. BDZ will provide five locomotives to haul the trains after they enter Bulgarian territory, while the operational dispatching services of both railways will exercise joint control over the cross-border train operation. BDZ and ZS agreed upon the increase of the gross tonnage of the trains, which are handed over between Bulgaria and Serbia.

 

BDZ sent an official warning notification to ZS about the non-observance of the timetable of the direct sleeping-car from Sofia toVienna, which arrives in Budapest with an excessive delay due to reconstruction works on the Serbian railway network, thus missing the connection to Vienna.

 

Additional requirements to security

At the end of July, the Council of Ministers adopted amendments to the Railway Act, which would guarantee greater safety of railway services. It is now required that the infrastructure manager and railway operators have a safety certificate, issued by the Executive Agency “Railway administration” conditional upon the implementation of a safety management system. The term of validity of this document would be five years. Furthermore, railway accidents will be subjected not only to legal investigation but to technical investigation as well, conducted by a specialised unit within the Ministry of Transport.

 

BDZ needs qualified personnel

The Transport Ministry will organise a meeting with the managements of secondary and high transport schools to discuss with them the rules for railway personnel recruitment. He pointed out that professional succession has been discontinued, meaning that it is often necessary for railway personnel to continue to work after retirement age. One of the possible solutions is to conclude advance contracts with school and university students. Particularly serious is the lack of a sufficient number of railway experts with secondary education.

 

Improvements of BDZ financial results

BDZ report improvements in their financial results for the first seven months of 2006, amounting to BGN8,165,000 in comparison with the same period in 2005. Between January and July 2006, the railways have transported 19,931 million passengers, i.e. 202,700 passengers more than in the same period in 2005. The transported freight amounted to 41,400 tons more than in the same period in 2005 and to 2.19% more in comparison with the business plan for 2006. The increase rate of revenue exceeded by 2% the increased rate of expenditure, excluding depreciation costs. Expenditure for protocol allowances has been reduced by 33%; expenditure for business trips abroad has been cut down by 34% and for business trips in the country - by 11%; the costs for phone and postal services have been reduced by 4%. In total, the costs have been cut down by more than BGN550,000. Since the beginning of 2006 till the present moment, the company conducted unannounced checks of 2,721 passenger trains. On the basis of the findings from these checks, 16 railway employees were dismissed and various administrative sanctions were imposed on 118 others. The company conducted 2,441 checks of the observation of financial, labour and technological discipline as well as of safety regulations. On the basis of proven breaches of discipline and regulations, 21 employees were dismissed and administrative sanctions were imposed on 265 employees.

 

Three railway stations in Sofia?

According to the Chief Architect of Sofia, Petar Dikov, the Municipality and BDZ have been discussing the concept according to which trains will arrive and departs from three railway stations in the capital city instead of only from Sofia Central Station. These additional stations will be Iskar, which will be departure terminal for trains to Bourgas and other routes in Southern Bulgaria, while the trains to the Northern destinations will depart from Vrubnitsa station. This concept aims at facilitating train and bus traffic to Sofia Central Station.

 

Agreement on Danube Bridge 2

On 31stJuly, the Deputy Minister of Transport, Vessela Gospodinova, and the State Secretary of the Romanian Ministry of Administration and Interior, Alexandru Mircha, signed an agreement on the cross-border traffic of people, transport vehicles, equipment and materials in the course of the construction and commissioning of the new Danube Bridge. The agreement regulates the access and traffic within the construction site during construction works and it includes particular regulations for border police, customs, road and sanitary controls.