Bulgarian railway company BDZ and Deutsche Bahn signed a contract for supply of 76 modernised carriages (see pics)

The Bulgarian Railway Company BDZ and Deutsche Bahn on March 29 signed a contract for the supply of 76 modernised passenger carriages.

The first 19 of them will arrive in Bulgaria in April and the remaining 57 will be delivered on schedule by the beginning of June. BDZ will modernize more than 20% of its rolling stock with them and will serve the busiest routes from Sofia to Varna, Bourgas and Rousse.

The contract includes the delivery of 60 second-class saloon-type passenger carriages, 6 specialised passenger carriages for transporting disabled persons and bicycles, as well as 10 bistro carriages. The total value of the contract is BGN 30.5 million, which includes all costs of their delivery to Bulgaria. The unit price for 1 carriage amounts to BGN 391,166.

The rolling stock meets all modern standards of comfort, is equipped with an air-conditioning system, as well as with an information system for notifying passengers about the stations and stops along the route. The last scheduled overhaul of the carriages was carried out between 2018 and 2022, and they were in service on the German rail network until December 2023.