Starting this week, Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ) will increase the number of trains between Sofia and Burgas. This was announced following a meeting between the Minister of Transport and Communications, Georgi Gvozdeikov, and the managements of "Holding BDZ" EAD and "BDZ-Passenger Transport" EOOD.

The minister demanded a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the Friday evening train from Sofia to Burgas. He stated, "It is unacceptable for passengers to travel under such conditions when they have purchased tickets, and someone has not fulfilled their duties."

In response to passenger claims about locked and empty sleeping cars on the train, BDZ confirmed that all seats in those cars were sold and occupied. The issue arose because the train is non-reserved and stops at unserved stations where passengers buy tickets directly from the train staff, preventing ticket purchase restrictions as the conductor has no connection to the ticketing system.

"We are gradually equipping trains with electronic devices for ticket sales, which will completely resolve this issue," said BDZ - Passenger Transport manager Vencislav Slavkov. Similar devices are already in use on the Sofia-Vidin line, and an additional 140 devices are yet to be implemented, with priority given to the busiest trains.

BDZ clarified that starting today, measures have been taken to increase the capacity of the night train from Sofia to Burgas by adding an additional carriage to accommodate the growing summer passenger flow. From this Friday, two more carriages will be added, and from June 29, another train will depart in the same direction, totaling ten daily trains between the capital and the seaside city.

As of today, a second train featuring four newly delivered German passenger rail cars is already operating between Sofia and Burgas. It departs the capital at 6:40 a.m. and returns in the afternoon.

In addition, the manager of "BDZ - Passenger Transport," Vencislav Slavkov, announced that trains will gradually be equipped with electronic ticket selling devices. According to a report from the Ministry of Transport, these devices are already being tested on the Sofia-Vidin line. An additional 140 devices are set to be implemented, with priority given to the busiest trains in the country.