Bulgaria's BDZ to Put Stopped Trains Back on the Railway in February

The trains stopped in the middle of January with an official government decision will be set in operation again starting 1 February, officials from the Bulgarian State Raiways (BDZ) announced.

Last week it was reported the trains would be back on the tracks, but no date was specified.

The reversal came after a series of protests across Bulgaria last week.

It also follows a decision by the government to grant an additional sum of BGN 40 M to the national carrier.

As a result of the slashed state subsidy, with BGN 140 M initially earmarked for the BDZ compared to BGN 180 M in 2014, the state-owned entity subsequently announced it would have to halt trains and lay off workers, making it more difficult for many workers and students in smaller towns or villages to commute.

However, not all of the 38 stopped trains will be operational again. Some of the oldest equipment with more than 7 million km on the rails will no longer be used for transportation, BDZ representatives told private national NOVA TV station.

The national railway service currently uses 17 of the old electric trains imported from the popular during the 70s factory in Riga. Only seven of them will remain in service until the middle of the current year. The rest of them do not comply with the requirements for a safe and comfortable travel conditions. Furthermore, the electrical installations inside are quite old and could cause possble danger for passengers.

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