BDŽ-Passenger Transport EOOD and Deutsche Bahn have finalized a contract for the delivery of 76 updated passenger cars to Bulgaria. The initial batch of 19 cars is expected to arrive by mid-April, with the remainder scheduled for delivery by early summer, ensuring the full consignment will be operational for BDŽ by June.
This purchase aims to improve the travel experience on key routes connecting Sofia with Varna, Burgas, and Ruse. The agreement includes the procurement of 60 second-class saloon wagons, along with 6 wagons designed to accommodate passengers with disabilities and bicycles, and 10 bistro wagons for on-board dining. The financial terms of the contract total EUR 15.6 million, covering all associated delivery costs to Bulgaria. Each wagon is priced at around EUR 200,000.
The negotiation process for this purchase was initiated in January, as disclosed by the Minister of Transport and Communications, Georgi Gvozdeikov. Following the announcement, a detailed inspection of the carriages was conducted by representatives from the ministry and BDŽ at the Deutsche Bahn base in Leipzig to finalize the transaction details.
The wagons provided under this contract are designed to meet current standards of comfort, featuring air conditioning and passenger information systems to announce stations and stops. These wagons have been in use within the German railway network until December 2023, following their last major overhaul between 2018 and 2022.
This trend of trading second-hand passenger wagons is increasing in Europe, as digital railway platform Railvis confirms: “Following the sale and lease of locomotives and wagons, we have also encountered an increased offering of passenger wagons for sale on our Railvis platform. This is a great opportunity for new players willing to enter the passenger rail market, or established operators expanding their offering, on how to quickly get operational rolling stock for passenger rail services”, says Ctirad Klimánek, Eastern Europe and Baltic Regional Sales Manager at Railvis.com. The platform enables to transparently connect companies from different parts of Europe in an online space that would otherwise find it difficult to connect their demands and offers.
