Sofia underground marks 25 years of service

Sofia underground marks 25 years of service. After nearly 20 years of construction, the first 6 kilometres from Slivnitsa metro station to Konstantin Velichkov metro station were launched on 28 January 1998 and for a quarter of a century it has been the most environmentally friendly public transport. An interesting fact about the construction of the metro is that the deepest stations - "Serdika" 2, "NDK" 2 and "James Bowser" - are 28 metres below ground, while the shallowest - "Beli Dunav" - is only at 6 metres depth.

It is also curious that the 82 metro trains run 6.5 million km per year. This is equivalent to 150 laps of the Earth on the Equator. Each of them travels 350 km on average per day. Four of the trains are the same ones from 25 years ago. The anniversary was also marked by the validation of a special postage stamp.

Back in 1998, it started with 6.4 km long and had five metro stations to reach today’s 52 km with 47 stations.

Hristo Hristov, a driver in the metropolitan metro: "I remember mostly that I was worried. Like any new job, I was nervous, but there weren't many passengers then, so the nervousness quickly passed. Over the years you gain experience, routine and it adds to your job."

During a shift, drivers only see daylight for a few minutes - when they pass through the 5 stations that are above ground.

Dichko Stoyanov, a driver in the metropolitan metro: "When we are moving in the tube tunnels usually the light is quite limited for us as train drivers and when we suddenly come out into the above-ground section the bright light we suddenly see hinders us sometimes, but it's all a matter of adaptation."

As well as following the timetable exactly, drivers also have to look out for the safety of passengers. They must be particularly vigilant for running passengers who are keen to get on the train at any cost.

Dichko Stoyanov, a driver in the metropolitan metro: "When little children wave or when you wait for an elderly person and then when they get off they thank you, it just feels very nice."

Boris, a fourth grader: "I really liked the metro line 3 because it is automatic and the driver doesn't drive the metro, he can be on the other side, in the other cab and the train drives itself."

Eng. Stoyan Bratoev: "This is the most significant project and the most beneficial - both transport and environmental, there is no greener project than the metro, because the presence of the metro currently leads to 79,000 less pollutants in the city's atmosphere annually. My view is that in the next 15-20 years the metro should reach 80 km."

Last year, construction began on one of two planned extensions of Line 3 under the Blvd. "Vladimir Vazov" - from "Hadji Dimitar" to "Levski". In the spring of this year, the construction of the second one will start - through the district of "Slatina" and "Geo Milev" to "Arena Sofia" and Blvd. "Tsarigradsko shose".

Yordanka Fandakova, Mayor of Sofia. With the construction of these two sections the metro passengers will increase to over half a million people."

So far, more than 2 and a half billion passengers have used the capital's underground. In 2026, it is expected to be 61 km long with 56 stations.

Images by BNT and BGNES/archive

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