site.btaUPDATED 125 Years Since Launch of Sofia's First Tram Service

The first tram service in Sofia's history was launched 125 years ago on Wednesday, on January 14, 1901. "Sofia was one of the first European capitals to have electrified public transport", said Dipl. Engr. Evgeni Ganchev, Director of Sofia Public Electrical Transport Company JSC, speaking to BTA on the occasion of the anniversary. On Wednesday, the Klokotnitsa Tram Shed, located on Knyaginya Maria Luiza Boulevard, will be open to the public at 2 p.m. There, visitors will be able to see on display one of the city’s most iconic tram cars, T6M-700, as well as other famous trams representing various stages in the development of public transport in the city. 

Ganchev explained that the first tram started off at 10:30 a.m. on January 1 (Old Style)/January 14 (New Style), 1901 on the line from the railway station, travelled along what is now Knyaginya Maria Luisa Boulevard, across Lion's Bridge, then down Targovska Street, Knyaz Alexander I Square, Graf Ignatiev Street, and terminated at Slaveykov Square (the service was later extended to Patriarch Evtimii Boulevard). This first route was 5,680 m long. A trip from the first to the last stop took 40 minutes.

The 25 green retrofitted motor tramcars and 10 trailers, imported from Belgium, had first- and second-class compartments. The cars were divided in the middle by a partition, and the only difference between the two classes was that passengers sat on red-plush cushions in the one and on wooden benches in the other. The conductors changed the cushions from one half of the car to the other at each end of the trip. The fare was 0.15 leva first class and 0.10 leva second class. The class division was discontinued in 1906 due to public resentment. The first tram cars were small, had two axles, open platforms fenced by grids, and were powered by two 18 kW electric motors.

The trams moved at an average speed of 8 km/h and a maximum speed of 15 km/h and could be boarded, apart from the only two fixed stops (the first and the last), when hailed down at intersections as well. Passengers could also get down at whatever street intersection they wished, signalling the driver to stop by a bell. By the end of 1901, the system already consisted of six tram lines totalling 23.377 km of 1,009 mm gauge single-track.

During its first year, Sofia's tram transport logged 2,525,084 passenger journeys (7,000 daily). 

As with any unfamiliar innovation, the new means of transport provoked mixed feelings among the average citizens - both curiosity and indignation at the noisy vehicles and the strange sounds they made on the tracks, added Ganchev. The residents of Sofia were reluctant to use the new service. Although not all locals were enthusiastic about trams, more lines were added in subsequent years. Trams gradually became an integral part of everyday life in Sofia, remaining the most widespread and popular means of transport for a long time. 

The growing number of passengers and interest in this form of transport prompted the local authorities to order new trams, which were delivered in 1908. They included twelve Siemens two-axle motor streetcars and six Zeppelin four-axle motor streetcars with two 33-kW motors.

Trams that have become emblematic of the city appeared in the 1930s. A significant milestone was the advent of the first Bulgarian-made tram in 1931, based on a design by engineer Teodosiy Kardalev, marking the inception of domestic tram production. The Kardalev tram is still operational today. In 1951, Bulgarian trams began to be mass-produced at the Shesti Septemvri Factory (later Tramkar) in Sofia. The "Sofia" and "Bulgaria" models made there were part of the cityscape for decades to come. Key routes were built to connect the city centre with industrial areas and the suburbs. 

Nowadays, Sofia is the only city in Bulgaria with a tram system. It is currently undergoing a major renovation with a focus on comfort and the environment. Over the past decade, dozens of new trams have been purchased. They are quiet, air-conditioned, and disabled-accessible. The tracks on major thoroughfares, such as Tsar Boris III, Bulgaria, Graf Ignatiev, Rozhen and Alexander Stamboliyski, have been renovated using modern technology to reduce noise and vibrations. 

On June 27, 2024, the Sofia City Council adopted a programme for the development of public transport in Sofia, under which 75 trolley-buses, 50 electric buses and 108 tram cars, as well as other specialised equipment, are to be purchased.

Following is an original English-language news item by which BTA's External Service covered the 100th anniversary of Sofia's tram service in 2001:

"Oldest, Newest Tram Carry Passengers in Sofia, to Mark Public Transport Anniversary

Sofia, January 14 (BTA) - The oldest and newest tram cars serviced the first route of the Sofia public transport opened 100 years ago. On Sunday Sofia's public transport marked its centenary.

Sofia Mayor Stefan Sofiyanski travelled in the first tram, the so-called green car. All passengers got a special anniversary ticket from a ticket collector dressed in a uniform from a century ago, taken from the Museum of Sofia's History. Smoking was allowed in the second class section of the oldest car but there were no smokers.

The oldest and newest trams, the latter equipped with special ramp for wheelchairs, serviced the first tram route, from the central railway station to the centre of the city.

Sofiyanski opened a commemorative plaque on the 100th anniversary of Sofia's public transport. The eight types of trams used in the capital were shown too.

Sofia's tram service was officially opened on January 1, 1901. It used 25 streetcars and ten carriages which serviced six routes which had single track and were 23 km in total length.

100 years later 187 trams servicing 17 routes travel 40,000 km daily in Sofia. More than 156 million passengers used trams in 2000.

Sofiyanski promised that travelling in the public transport will become more comfortable.

Twenty renovated streetcars will be added to the fleet this year, along with 15 trolley buses. Fifty buses will be overhauled and equipped with special environmentally-friendly engines.

The programme of the Sofia Municipality for the development of public transport envisages investment of about 50 million US dollars over the next few years. The money will be used to replace about 500 buses, to improve the transport management system, modernize the equipment and introduce a new system replacing tickets with magnetic cards. LG,LT /EK /ZH/ 18:09:03 14-01-2001 -0-"