New locomotives enter into service on the Bulgarian railways

The new locomotives of the Bulgarian state railways, BDZ, are officially in operation as of December 22.

They will run on the lines of the high-speed trains between Sofia and the Black sea coastal cities of Bourgas and Varna.

The trains will be made up of 15 carriages overhauled in Bulgarian workshops, of which the first 4 are already included in the rolling stock.

The launch of the two new locomotives was marked at an official ceremony, which coincided with the opening of the renovated Poduyane railway station in Sofia and presentation of the new heavy machinery for maintenance and repair of the rail road, as the train was inaugurated on its first journey from Sofia Central Station by the managers of BDZ - Passenger Transport EOOD and Siemens Mobility.

The Minister of Transport, Information Technology and Communications noted that by the middle of 2021, 15 new locomotives will enter the railway system, which will serve the main and busiest routes in the country.

All new Smartron locomotives will be named after Bulgarian historical rulers, and each of them has a specific code. When scanning on it, passengers will have the opportunity to learn more about the historical figure, whose name the locomotive bears. Another interesting detail is that a leer of the Glagolic alphabet will be depicted on the front of each locomotive as a tribute to the rich and glorious history of Bulgaria.