Part of the newly constructed third subway line will be released in late July or early August. This was announced by Mayor Yordanka Fandakova after an inspection at the Hadzhi Dimitar metro station.

It was decided for all 8 metro stations from Vladimir Vazov Boulevard to Zhitnitsa Street to be put into exploitation.

Because of the state of emergency and the coronavirus pandemic, tests on the new route have slowed down, Fandakova admitted.

"The train tests continue into the first 8-kilometer section of the third line. Construction work was completed by the end of last year and testing began in November. It should continue for 6 months by contract. Due to the emergency, part of the Siemens team was pulled out and the pace of the tests is slower," Fandakova explained.

According to Fandakova, the route from Hadzhi Dimitar to the center will take 3 minutes and the whole line will take 12 minutes (to Krasno Selo).

The reduction of passengers over the last few weeks is over 5 times - from 300-350 thousand passengers daily, to about 70 thousand every day.