Balgarianovinite.com Bulgaria can adopt and learn from the successful Czech experience in liberalizing rail services, said Bulgarian Minister of Transport and Communications, Grozdan Karadjov, during a meeting with his Czech counterpart Martin Kupka in Prague, the Ministry reported on Tuesday. The Ministers discussed the development of the rail sector, modernization, and future reforms in public transport systems in both countries.
Karadjov said that Bulgaria expects the 25 new trains to arrive from Czech Republic in Bulgaria on schedule, gradually from January to August 2026. “They are urgently needed, as our country is currently facing a serious shortage of rolling stock,” he noted.
The Bulgarian Minister stressed that the deadline for submitting proposals under the procedure for awarding rail transport contracts for the next 12 years is in two days. “By mid-December, we will know the selected operators. We have one year before the new contracts take effect, and during this period it is crucial to prepare for competition and for the challenges arising from liberalization,” he said.
Karadjov noted that over the next 12 months Bulgaria must develop and implement effective mechanisms to monitor the quality of rail services in an open market, including clear performance indicators and passenger comfort standards.
During the meeting, Karadjov presented the Bulgarian model for a unified ticketing system, included in the new Public Transport Act. “We will create unified legislation for all types of transport operating under a common national transport scheme, which is the foundation for fairer and more sustainable public transport,” he said. The Minister emphasized that due to fragmented or non-functioning legislation, over 700 settlements in Bulgaria currently lack public transport.
Minister Kupka presented the Czech model of rail management. In the Czech Republic, regional rail services are awarded and monitored by regional authorities, while the Ministry of Transport oversees long-distance trains. Key quality indicators include reducing delays and ensuring good connections between different modes of transport, he said.
Kupka explained that the Czech Republic has a unified ticketing system for all rail operators, but the organization of bus services remains a challenge, with 13 separate ticketing systems operating across 14 regions. He added that the Czech Republic ranks second in Europe in transport infrastructure investment as a share of GDP and continues to work on integrating all modes of transport.
During his visit to the Czech Republic, Karadjov also held meetings with the national rail operator (Ceske drahy) and representatives of private companies Leo Express and Arriva, which provide public rail services under contracts in the Czech Republic. Transport Minister Karadjov Discusses Railway Sector Development with Czech Counterpart in Prague 2025 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2025-11-25 18:28:42 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law