For the period 2021-2023, BDZ reports a 23% increase in costs. From 2012 to 2024, there is only a 1.8% increase in the price of tickets. This was explained to BNR by Dr. Lyudmil Ivanov, an expert in digitalization and management in railway transport.
He defined the upcoming 20% increase in the prices of passenger rail transportation as inevitable and imperative, but pointed out that BDZ could have taken a differentiated approach – the increase would be only for the new trains from “Deutsche Bahn”, which we are waiting for to arrive.
We have old rolling stock. These 76 wagons, which we are waiting for from “Deutsche Bahn”, will arrive by the summer, Ivanov pointed out.
The most important thing is to provide quality service to travelers. And whether it will be a Bulgarian or a foreign company – we are obliged to open the public transport procedure for all those who will transport passengers in the next 15 years. A carrier may come from Germany, may come from Spain, commented Ludmil Ivanov regarding the opening of the market for passenger transport and for other operators.
The very fact that BDZ is under threat to its existence is already pushing for serious reforms in the company, said Ludmil Ivanov. He expressed moderate optimism that the company will be able to stabilize and that when it submits offers in the coming months, they can be compared with Western European ones.
According to him, the subsidization of fast and express trains on leading routes, which are profitable anyway, should be abolished.
There is also a possibility that the trains we are currently buying will be leased or sold, the transport expert specified.
If BDZ does not win this service, the state will probably have to get rid of part of the building fund, Ludmil Ivanov also noted in connection with the state of the state railway company.
