Editing Transport in Bulgaria (section)

== Railways ==
{{Main|Rail transport in Bulgaria|Bulgarian State Railways|National Railway Infrastructure Company}}
[[File:BDZ Baureihe 9452.JPG|left|thumb|A [[Bulgarian State Railways|BDZ]] Desiro train]]
[[File:Railway map of Bulgaria.png|right|thumb|Map of Bulgaria's railroad network]]
In 2005 Bulgaria had some 6,238 kilometers of open access track owned by the state company "National Company Railway Infrastructure", including a 125 kilometers long 760&nbsp;mm narrow gauge railway – the [[Septemvri-Dobrinishte narrow gauge line]] and 4,316&nbsp;km were considered main lines.<ref name=cp14/> Sofia, [[Plovdiv]] and [[Gorna Oryahovitsa]] are the hubs of the domestic system and of international rail connections.<ref name=cp14/> 

Bulgaria's rail system has not expanded since the 1980s, in 2014 there were 4,023&nbsp;kilometers of main lines.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nsi.bg/en/content/7191/length-railway-network|title=Length of railway network|publisher=NSI|access-date=2016-05-02}}</ref> There are upgrading projects underway.<ref name=cp14>Bulgaria country profile, p. 14.</ref> After the completion of the Plovdiv – Dimitrovgrad [[high-speed rail|high-speed line]] on July 1, 2012, the top operating speed was raised to 200&nbsp;km/h and the national top speed record of 197&nbsp;km/h set between Iskar and Elin Pelin with a leased [[Siemens]] Taurus electric locomotive is soon expected to be broken.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dariknews.bg/view_article.php?article_id=925916 |title=The trains from Plovdiv to Dimitrovgrad now with 160 km/h |date=July 2012 |publisher=Dariknews.bg|language=bg |access-date=July 3, 2012}}</ref> There are also plans for upgrading for high speed operation and doubling (where needed) of the [[Plovdiv]] – [[Burgas]] railway. By the end of 2013, a total of 461&nbsp;km of [[high-speed rail|high-speed lines]] were expected to be built.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/bulgaria-to-turkey-wiring-underway.html |title=Bulgaria to Turkey wiring underway |magazine=Railway Gazette International|access-date=May 11, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://paper.standartnews.com/bg/article.php?d=2011-08-05&article=377091 |title=Божков строи жп "Марица" |newspaper=Standart |language=bg |access-date=May 11, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.snews.bg/bg/statiya/vlakat-plovdiv-burgas-shte-leti-s-200-km-ch:10592 |title=Влакът Пловдив-Бургас ще лети с 200 км/ч |publisher=Snews.bg|language=bg |access-date=May 11, 2012}}</ref>

In the mid-2000s, railways remained a major mode of freight transportation, but with increasing problems with the maintenance of the infrastructure and lowering speeds, highways carried a progressively larger share of freight.<ref name=cp14/> The national passenger and freight operator is called [[Bulgarian State Railways]], but there are also a number of private operators including Bulgarian Railway Company and [[DB Schenker]] Rail Bulgaria.

In 2014 the Bulgarian railways carried 14,225,000 tons of freight<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nsi.bg/en/content/7185/goods-carried-and-transport-performance|title=Goods carried and transport performance – National statistical institute|website=Nsi.bg|access-date=October 16, 2017}}</ref> and 21.3&nbsp;million passengers in 2019.<ref name=europaeu>{{cite web|url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/pdfscache/7066.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/pdfscache/7066.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|title=Railway passenger transport statistics|publisher=Europa EU|date=December 8, 2019 |access-date=January 9, 2021}}</ref>

=== Sofia Metro ===
{{Main|Sofia Metro}}
[[File:Patriarh Evtimiy metrostation.jpg|thumb|right|[[St. Patriarch Evtimiy Metro Station]]]]
In 1998 the first six kilometres of an often-interrupted 52&nbsp;km standard gauge subway project (the [[Sofia Metro]]) opened in Sofia.<ref name=cp14/> Additional stations were later built, and in 2012 a second line opened.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.novinite.com/articles/142795/EC+President,+Bulgarian+PM+Launch+2nd+Sofia+Metro+Line|title=EC President, Bulgarian PM Launch 2nd Sofia Metro Line|publisher=Novinite |date=August 31, 2012|access-date=2016-05-03}}</ref> By April 2015 the total length was 36&nbsp;km with 31 stations and Line 2 [[Sofia Airport Metro Station|serving Sofia Airport]]. In 2016 the expansion of the network continued, as construction works on the third line commenced, and the system reached a total length of 40&nbsp;km, with 35 stations along its two lines.<ref>{{cite news|title=Construction of Sofia subway third line to begin on Jan 20|url=http://wire.seenews.com/news/construction-of-sofia-subway-third-line-to-begin-on-jan-20-509653|access-date=April 13, 2016|publisher=SEE News}}</ref> In 2021, the metro was expanded to 52&nbsp;km total length with 47 stations on 4 lines. Further expansions are expected in the period 2021–2027.<ref>{{cite web|title=Operating Metro|url=https://www.metropolitan.bg/en/scheme/operating-metro|access-date=October 24, 2021}}</ref>