Passenger Train Derails in Bulgaria After Landslide Blocks Railway Line

A passenger train in central Bulgaria derailed on Friday morning after hitting a rock mass caused by a landslide in the Raduntsi–Dabovo railway section, according to the National Railway Infrastructure Company (NRIC).

The incident occurred at around 7:30 a.m. on the line between Gorna Oryahovitsa and Stara Zagora. Authorities said that heavy rainfall triggered a fresh landslide in the area, sending rocks onto the tracks. As the train exited a curve, it struck the obstruction, causing the locomotive and two carriages of passenger train No. 40121 to leave the rails.

Officials confirmed that rail traffic through the Raduntsi–Dabovo section has been fully suspended following the accident. Despite the derailment, no passengers were injured.

The disruption affected several other services operating in the area, including trains No. 40100 from Dabovo to Tryavna, No. 4631 from Tryavna to Dabovo, No. 464 from Dabovo to Tryavna, and No. 4661 from Tryavna to Dabovo.

Transport arrangements were quickly introduced to assist passengers. Those travelling on train No. 40121 were transferred by a vehicle provided by NRIC, which collected them from the site and transported them to Dabovo station, where they continued their journey on train No. 4661. For other affected routes, replacement bus services were deployed from Dabovo and Tryavna stations to move passengers between the disrupted sections.

Emergency teams were dispatched to the site to begin clearing the debris and repairing the damaged infrastructure, with work underway to restore normal operations as quickly as possible. Local authorities also confirmed that a police team from the Interior Ministry was sent to inspect the scene and carry out an initial investigation into the circumstances of the derailment.