A crisis headquarters has been formed by order of Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Grozdan Karadjov to investigate the persistent failures of air conditioning systems in Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ) passenger carriages. The move follows a passenger complaint about a dangerously hot carriage on the Sofia–Burgas route, where not only was the air conditioning out of order, but the windows could not be opened either. According to Karadjov, the temperatures onboard had reached levels considered hazardous to health.

The carriages in question are second-hand units purchased from Deutsche Bahn. They typically depart with functioning air conditioners, but somewhere along the route, the systems shut down and cannot be restarted. Engineers from BDZ have reportedly been unable to determine the cause. Karadjov explained that the carriages were designed to operate at 1,000 volts, while Bulgaria’s infrastructure delivers 1,500 volts - a mismatch possibly at the root of the problem. External specialists from the original supplier have been contacted to assist with the technical investigation.

In the meantime, emergency measures are being rolled out. Trains will be supplemented with one additional older carriage per train, featuring windows that can be opened. These extra wagons will be taken from less-frequented regional lines such as Vetovo–Senovo, Hisarya–Dolna Mahala, and Levski–Troyan. To compensate, BDZ will introduce air-conditioned buses along the affected routes. Karadjov stressed that this shift in rolling stock is a temporary measure intended to reduce immediate discomfort.

The minister did not hide his frustration with the situation. Speaking to reporters, he confirmed that the entire BDZ management has been given a “yellow card,” a warning that dismissals will follow if the problem is not resolved quickly. He accused some staff of failing to properly activate the air conditioning systems before departure, attributing this to negligence or a lack of professionalism. To counter this, Karadjov ordered that air conditioners be filled and tested regularly.

He further announced that every fast train will now include one BDZ manager and one technician onboard, tasked with monitoring the functioning of the cooling systems and repairing them mid-journey if possible. Karadjov and his deputy minister plan to travel personally on some of these trains to observe the situation firsthand.

As the technical team continues its work on the voltage incompatibility, Karadjov acknowledged that the issue has been known for at least a year but had been left unaddressed. This, he said, only reinforced his belief that BDZ is in a deep, systemic crisis. He vowed that more crisis headquarters would be convened if necessary, not only for the technical failures but also to address persistent complaints from passengers about dirty carriages and poor customer service.

In a post on his Facebook page, Karadjov declared that he has taken the BDZ situation personally. He characterized the state railway company as being in a long-term crisis that cannot be resolved overnight. While pledging honesty and transparency, he stressed that serious reform is required - and that his patience is limited.