Varna-Ruse Rail Rehabilitation (BUL 2)

• Country: Bulgaria
• Mode: Rail
• Investment Volume: 300 million euro
• Project status: Priority

Applicant, Sponsor, Beneficiary, Promoter

Project Owner: Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications

Implementing Party: National Railway Infrastructure Company

Geographical Description

Railroad line Varna - Ruse - the main overland link the port to Ruse on the Danube river to the port of Varna on the Black Sea and the shortest link the Black Sea region and the TRACECA with Central and Western Europe.

The line connects the eastern region of Bulgaria with the only railway border crossing with Romania. The line provides transport communication between the pan-European transport corridors ? 7, 8 and 9.
The first railway line was put into operation in 1866. It is built of English joint-stock company Barclay brothers.

Technical Description

Railway line Varna-Rousse - the relationship between the TRACECA countries and Central Europe. The development of the railway line will improve the interaction of different modes of transport (road, rail, water).

Reduce time traffic and increase reliability and safety of transportation, which contributes to attract traffic from road to rail transport. Benefit from the saved time: 39.23 million levs.
The saved costs by reducing incidents: 4,31 million levs. At the stage of technical assistance, after considering some alternative solutions and the implementation of financial and economic analysis of "cost benefit" is selected B1:

• Update and / or average repair the permanent way
• Repair of energy facilities (partial replacement of poles, carrying ropes, the contact network). Traction substation will be prepared for inclusion in the SCADA system
• Repair and / or replacement of facilities and SCB networks to level 1 GSM-R and ETCS with an opportunity to move to higher level.

Stages of construction:

• the first lot: Ruse - Kaspichan;
• second lot: Kaspichan - Varna.

Currently in the process of execution is a project number 2007-BG-90302-S "Technical assistance for the restoration of design parameters of the railway line Rousse-Varna, financed by an annual work program in 2007 Trans-European Networks - Transport (TEN-T) of the European Union . The project includes the following works:

• Study to assess
• Financial and economic analysis of “costs and benefits";
• Preparation of technical projects rehabilitation;
• Develop a strategy and tender documentation for construction.

Economic Description / Assessment

• Improvement of railway infrastructure, which will lead to economic growth in the region on the basis of reliable transport service for passengers and cargo
• Providing operational Compatibility
• Improving relations with the neighboring countries of Bulgaria, as well as with the rest of the EU.
• Balancing different types of transport to rail transport on the basis of attraction of the car to rail transport.
• Increased competition in the transport market through improving the quality of rail services
• The development of sustainable transport by integrating different transport modes and to create conditions for the development of intermodal co-operation.
• Increased throughput by 25% for passenger trains and 35% for freight trains.
• Reduced traffic by 15%.
• Increased reliability and security of transport.
• Increased quality of transport services.
• Achieved a balance between different modes of transport, intermodal transportation system "sea - railway - river".
• Improved aesthetic and ecological conditions in the area near the road.
• The increased exchange of goods in Bulgaria with the countries of Eastern and Central Europe.

5 years, IRR - 1,88% (discount rate: five per cent)
Opportunities EAP application will be evaluated on the last stage of the technical assistance project, located in the execution process.

• Reducing harmful emissions.
• Reducing noise pollution resulting from the implementation of projects to protect against noise if necessary.  
• Reducing consumption of energy sources.
• Reducing the use of materials and natural resources due to the nature trails and energy used for movement of trains.