Transport Minister Ivaylo Moskovski has said that Bulgaria will be able to buy new passenger trains with EU funding in 2014.

In order for the purchase to take place, the Passenger Services unit of the state-owned Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ) company will become a beneficiary under the EU's Transport Operational Program.

Moskovski argued Tuesday that one of the mechanisms for modernizing BDZ involved buying new trains, for which Bulgaria could use EU structural funds.

He explained that the state-owned railway company was getting ready to be able to hold the tenders for the new trains in the beginning of the next 2014-2020 programming period.

Moskovski voiced hopes that BDZ would manage to carry out the tenders as early as 2013.

"Together with the investments in railway infrastructure, the purchase of new trains will create an entirely new image of the Bulgarian railway company," the Transport Minister added.

Representatives of the European Commission have already backed Bulgaria's proposal for including BDZ Passenger Services as a beneficiary of the program, according to a statement of Bulgaria's Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications.

Jeroen van Oel from the European Commission's Directorate-General for Regional Policy is quoted as saying that the step will allow BDZ to take advantage of EU funding and to turn into a modern and efficient structure.

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