site.btaSofia Opens New Line 3 Metro Extension to Levski Housing Estate

A new section of Line 3 of Sofia's Metro underground railway along Vladimir Vazov Boulevard will be officially opened today, August 14, by Mayor Vasil Terziev, Metropoliten EAD Executive Director Nikolay Naydenov and Prof. Stoyan Bratoev, a member of the company's Board of Directors. The extension will begin operating for passengers after 12 noon, the Sofia Municipality press office said.

The extension of the line to the Levski Housing Estate is expected to allow more than 45,000 additional people to use the Metro each day, bringing the total daily number of Metro passengers in Sofia to more than 500,000. The extension provides a faster and more convenient transport connection for residents of the districts of Poduyane, Hadzhi Dimitar, Suhata Reka and Levski and for people travelling from the Hemus Motorway. Car traffic in the area is expected to decrease by up to 25%.

The new section, which is nearly three kilometres long, includes three Metro stations: Georgi Asparuhov Stadium, Bessarabia, and Gen. Vladimir Vazov. The design of the three stops is marked by modern-style clean lines that emphasize a sense of movement and dynamism. Their architectural concepts are linked to their respective locations.

The Georgi Asparuhov Stadium station features the colours of the iconic stadium and incorporates symbolism associated with football legend Georgi Asparuhov.

The extension of Line 3 from Hadzhi Dimitar station to the Levski Housing Estate was carried out under Bulgaria's Recovery and Resilience Plan, financed by the EU's Recovery and Resilience Facility. The investment amounts to EUR 144.3 million excluding VAT.

A musical programme will be held at each of the stations along the new section as part of the opening celebrations.

Four additional Siemens trains will be put into service with the opening of the three-kilometre extension of Line 3, the Sofia Municipality press office said in July. The new trains are equipped with high-tech systems that automatically determine their location along the route and maintain a constant connection with the traffic control centre. Line 3 uses a communications-based train control (CBTC) system, which enables fast and safe train operation.

Construction of the Line 3 extension began in March 2022 and was carried out entirely underground.