site.btaGovernment Funds National Share for Vidin–Sofia Rail Upgrade

The Government will provide the national co-financing for the project Modernization of the Vidin–Sofia Railway Line: Medkovets–Sratsimir Section, which has been approved under the Connecting Europe Facility, the government press service said here Wednesday.

The funds, totalling BGN 569,227,578, will be granted to the National Railway Infrastructure Company over three years.

The 45 km section is divided into two lots: Medkovets–Dabova Mahala and Dabova Mahala–Sratsimir. The project includes the modernization of a single-track electrified railway line, the construction of a new tunnel, five bridges, eleven underpasses, twelve overpasses, and three new stations at Dabova Mahala, Vodnyantsi, and Sratsimir.

The National Railway Infrastructure Company has already signed a contract with the selected contractor for the Dabova Mahala–Sratsimir lot, and a contract for the Medkovets–Dabova Mahala lot is to follow. The provision of the national co-financing secures the timely launch of construction works.

The modernization will improve conditions for passenger and freight services along the Vidin–Sofia railway line, which is part of the core TEN-T network and of the Baltic Sea–Black Sea–Aegean Sea corridor.