The project has been approved by the Managing Authority of the Operational programme "Transport" 2007-2013 on 02.02.2011, and by the European Commission on 01.07.2011.

Deadline: Scheduled to end on 30.09.2015.

Beneficiary:  National Company "Railway Infrastructure”

Budget:

Total cost of the project after tenders: 477 912 822 BGN

Awarded grant under OP "Transport":   343 182 673 BGN including VAT

Sources of grant funding:

Cohesion Fund of EU: 274 546 138 BGN

National co-financing: 68 636 535 BGN

Co-financing from NCRI: 28 901 775.61 BGN

The project is funded under Priority Axis 1 "Development of railway infrastructure along the Trans-European and major national transport axes" of the Operational Programme "Transport" 2007-2013

Aim of the project

The aim of the project is the realization of a fully rehabilitated electrified railway line between major urban centres - Plovdiv and Burgas. After completion of the project, the line should allow to reach maximum speed of 160 km/h, which will lead to increased capacity of the traffic and to a significant reduction of the duration of freight and passenger travel.

Major parties interested in the implementation of the project are:

- Passengers and carriers of goods by rail, as it is expected the traffic to increase respectively by 14% and by 10% after completion of the project;

- The population in the region (about 1 900 000) – as in the large urban centres (890 000), as well as along the railway corridor;

- Regional economy, mainly sea port of Burgas with its petrochemical industry and other branches of heavy industry, textile, agricultural and tourism sector;

- Train operators – public and private;

Location

Railway line from Plovdiv to Burgas is a part of Corridor VIII from TEN-T railway network, and from the TRACECA corridor to the South Caucasus and Central Asia.

The place of implementation of the project is South-Eastern region.

Technical parameters of the project

The project "Rehabilitation of the railway infrastructure in sections of the railway line Plovdiv – Burgas" refers to the following areas:

• Mihaylovo-Kaloyanovets, from km 82.883 to km 93.539 (Segment 1) and from km 84+155 to km 92+244 (Segment 2), length of the trace 10.656 km;

• Stara Zagora – Zimnitsa, from km 106+949 to km 198+198, length of the trace 91.249 km;

• Tserkovski-Burgas, from km 217+210 to km 292+460, length of the trace 75.525 km.

The total length of the railway trace wich is to be renovated is 177.4 km. The project includes the reconstruction of the railway stations in Stara Zagora, Kermen and Yambol, reconstruction of the bridge over Tundzha River and replacement of the signalling system of Burgas railway junction, installing new control and signalling centre and replacement of signalling systems in 5 stations between the railway station Druzhba and the city of Burgas.

Main activities under the project

• Preparation of a working design for works on the bottom  and upper construction of the railway for speed of 100-160 km/h, for works on contact network systems and sections’ posts, for works on signalling and communication systems and for other activities;
• Preparation and coordination of the conceptual design for in at least 2 versions for a new trace in the area from between railway stations Yambol-Zavoy to between railway stations Zavoy-Zimnitsa for speed 160 km/h, including a new crossing of the river Tundzha by a reinforced concrete bridge for the same speed. After selection of the final version of the trace by the  Governing Body (GB) of the OPT - preparation and coordination of the of the technical project;
  • For the segment Karnobat – Burgas: renovation of the railway, sifting ballast prism and subsequent additional ballasting; rehabilitation (restoration) or creation of drainage systems;

• Ground works, recreational activities, formation of subgrade and achievement of the design carryability in accordance with the Technical specifications and laying a protective layer;

• Rehabilitation (restoration) or creation of drainage systems;

• Restoration/reparation of railway facilities;

• Laying a new upper construction of the railway and the railway switches using rails type 60 E1 and re-inforced concrete sleepers with elastic fixing without pads and new ballast, making rail road without joinders;

• Works on systems of the contact network and the sections’ posts;

• Works on signalling and telecommunication systems;

• Reparation of buildings;

• Measures for environmental protection.

Project executors

Position 1 – "Rehabilitation of the railway section Mihaylovo-Kaloyanovets, including main tracks at the stations Mihaylovo and Kaloyanovet, of approximate total spread out length of railway track 21km"

The cost of the contract for construction under Position 1: 29 652 343 BGN without VAT

Executor: CLEA "GCF – Construction Company (CC) 13 – Trace Railinfra Consortium"

Construction supervision: CLEA "ETACONS - VITO PRATO"

Position 2 – "Rehabilitation of the railway section Stara Zagora – Zavoy (up to 190 km⁺⁵⁹⁰ in between railway stations Yambol – Zavoy) and Zavoy – Zimnica (from km192⁺⁷⁰⁶ to the entrance switch of Zimnitsa railway station), including main tracks and stations Stara Zagora and Yambol, and all the stations and stops between them, with approximate total spread out length of railway track 120 km”

The cost of the construction contract under Position 2: 151 536 000 BGN without VAT

Executor: CLEA "GCF - CC 13 – Trace Railinfra Consortium"

Construction supervision: CLEA "ETACONS - VITO PRATO"

Position 3 – "Rehabilitation of the railway section Tserkovski – Karnobat, including main tracks in the railway station Tserkowski, with approximate total spread out length of railway tracks 28 km, and renovation of the railway of the section Karnobat-Burgas, including main tracks in the railway stations Karnobat and Bourgas, all stops and stations in between, with approximate total spread out length of the railway tracks 122 km.”

The cost of the construction contract under Position 3: 135 780 506 BGN without VAT

Executor: CLEA "GCF - CC 13 – Trace Railinfra Consortium"

Construction supervision: CLEA "ETACONS - VITO PRATO"

Results in case of successful project implementation

• Renovated railway lines of Trans-European transport network – 175 km;

• Time saved on travel for the year - 4.65 million EUR;

• Renovated railway - 260.5 km;

• Renovated contact network – 305 km;

• Renovated railway tracks developments at railway stations – 3;

• Renovated railway crossings – 18;

• Railway stations with renovated signalling systems – 5