The first train schedule for Ivkoni Express has been released

The first clue as to how the private operator “Ivkoni Express” will operate after entering the passenger rail transport market is now visible. The company has published a draft 2026/2027 Train Schedule, which is set to take effect on December 13, 2024.

The document, published on September 4, 2024, is a working version and does not yet constitute a final approved schedule. However it shows for the first time specific times and trains for the routes that “Ivkoni Express” will serve in the Northern and Southern regions.

Interestingly the 20-page draft has been published on the website of the Targovishte Regional Administration as part of a public consultation, even though its scope extends far beyond the region. The city itself appears only in one of the final sections of the document – on the Shumen – Gorna Oryahovitsa route.

The regional administration notes that proposals and comments on the draft may be submitted until September 18, after which they will be summarized as part of the process for discussing and approving the new General Development Plan. The schedule is set to be in effect from December 13, 2026 - December 11, 2027.

The Southern Region

One of the most heavily served routes in the Southern Region is Plovdiv – Asenovgrad. In the draft schedule the first train from Plovdiv departs at 5:00 a.m. and the last at 10:30 p.m.; for most of the day trains run approximately every hour and during certain time slots there are additional trains on weekdays.

The travel time between the two cities is estimated at 26 min – for example the 5:00 a.m. train from Plovdiv arrives in Asenovgrad at 5:26 a.m.

In the opposite direction the first departure is at 5:30 a.m. and the last at 11:00 p.m., again with a travel time of about 26 min.

On the Plovdiv – Karlovo route trains are scheduled to stop at Filipovo, Trud, Graf Ignatievo, Kaloyanovo, Banya and the other towns along the line. For passenger trains the end-to-end journey is typically estimated at about 1 h 20 min. For example the 5:30 a.m. departure from Plovdiv arrives in Karlovo at 6:49 a.m. and the 8:05 p.m. train arrives at 9:30 p.m.

The project also includes the Dolna Mahala – Hisar branch line, where the trip takes about 27 min one way and approximately the same time in the other direction.

The main Plovdiv – Yambol route passes through Belozem, Chirpan, Stara Zagora and Nova Zagora.

In the Southern Region additional services are scheduled on the Burgas – Yambol/Sliven, Karlovo – Sliven and Nova Zagora–Simeonovgrad routes.

On the Karlovo – Sliven route passenger trains pass through Kalofer, Kazanlak, Tulovo, Dabovo and Tvarditsa, with the end-to-end journey taking just under three hrs – for example from 6:05 a.m. in Karlovo to 9:02 a.m. in Sliven.

On the Nova Zagora – Simeonovgrad line via Radnevo and Galabovo the trip takes about 1 h 40 min on most trains. For example according to the schedule a train departing from Nova Zagora at 10:40 a.m. arrives in Simeonovgrad at 12:18 p.m.

The project also includes connections along the Gorna Oryahovitsa – Stara Zagora route via Veliko Tarnovo, Dryanovo, Tryavna, Dabovo and Tulovo – one of the routes that crosses the Stara Planina Mountains and connects Northern and Southern Bulgaria.

Separately there is the regional service between Gabrovo and Tsareva Livada. On nearly all scheduled trips the journey between the two stations takes about 31 min – for example from 7:10 a.m. to 7:41 a.m. and from 6:00 p.m. to 6:31 p.m.

What the northern lines look like

The northern region covers a broad network around Ruse, Gorna Oryahovitsa, Shumen and Varna.

Among the main routes is Ruse – Gorna Oryahovitsa, via Ivanovo, Dve Mogili, Borovo, Byala and Polski Trambesh. From Ruse there is also a scheduled service to Kaspichan via Vetovo, Razgrad and Samuil. The line to Silistra also begins in Samuil, passing through Isperih, Dulovo and Alfatar. The end-to-end journey takes about 2 h and 50 min – for example the morning train from Samuil at 7:35 a.m. is scheduled to arrive in Silistra at 10:22 a.m., or in 2 h and 47 min.

A significant portion of future service is also concentrated around Varna. On the Varna–Karnobat line, which passes through Beloslav, Sindel, Dulgopol and a number of smaller towns, passenger trains in the schedule cover the entire route in approximately three hrs. For example the 7:00 a.m. train from Varna is scheduled to arrive in Karnobat at 10:01 a.m. and the 11:00 a.m. train is scheduled to arrive at 1:54 p.m.

On the Varna–Dobrich route the travel time is about 1 h 50 min. For example the 7:30 a.m. train from Varna arrives in Dobrich at 9:20 a.m. and the 3:50 p.m. train arrives at 5:36 p.m. Part of the schedule also includes the line to Kardam.

On the Shumen–Gorna Oryahovitsa route, via Targovishte, Popovo and Strazhitsa, passenger trains are scheduled to take about 2 h 10 min. For example the 8:20 a.m. train from Shumen arrives in Gorna Oryahovitsa at 10:30 a.m. while the 5:20 p.m. train arrives at 7:26 p.m. Targovishte – the city whose regional administration published the entire draft schedule – is located along this route.

In the northeasternmost part of the network there is also a regional connection between Shumen and Komunari, for which the draft schedule estimates a travel time of about 55 min end-to-end.

The full schedule is available at this link.

Starting December 13, 2024 – a new rail map

The draft schedule is another step in the preparations for the biggest change in the passenger rail services market in years. In February, the Ministry of Transport signed 12-yr public transport contracts with “BDZ – Passenger Transport” and “Ivkoni Express”. The state-owned operator will retain the Western region, which accounts for about 75% of the service, while the private company will take over the Northern and Southern regions – about 14% and 11%, respectively. The contracts will take effect with the new schedule starting December 13, 2026.

In parallel with preparing the schedules Ivkoni Express is also securing the rolling stock it will use to provide the service. As a reminder the private carrier will also use refurbished, second-hand Dutch NS ICRm railcars, which the Dutch railways operated until recently. The first three cars have already undergone a cosmetic refurbishment and have been branded with the Bulgarian operator’s logo. The railcars will be leased from Vienna-based Creditas Mobility, which acquires used rolling stock, modernizes it and leases it to operators.

Back in March Ivkoni Express told Economic.bg that it was exploring the European secondary market for the purchase and lease of rolling stock, with the goal of ensuring sufficient reserves and flexibility in fulfilling its contracts. The company also announced a plan for approximately €100 million in investments over a 12-yr period.

Ivkoni Express is also set to receive a portion of the new rolling stock purchased by the government under the Recovery Plan. Of the total 25 Škoda electric multiple units 6 are earmarked for the private operator and of the 35 Alstom multiple units another 9 – for a total of 15 new trains.

However preparations for the private carrier’s launch are proceeding amid audits by the new leadership of the Ministry of Transport. Back in June Minister Georgi Peev announced a comprehensive analysis of the procedure and the contracts for the Northern and Southern regions.

In an interview with Economic.bg in August, Minister Peev explained that the ministry is reviewing the overall implementation of the project in terms of its appropriateness, effectiveness and whether the model will actually lead to better service. He also noted that based on the current projected volumes the compensation for “Ivkoni Express” in 2027 is approximately €45 million. Peev then drew attention to the lack of sufficiently detailed operational planning regarding the introduction of the second operator – including the transfer of employees, the operations of the two carriers at the stations and the coordination of schedules.

Translated with DeepL.