Ukraine and Bulgaria Launch International Train to Varna – Kuleba

Ukraine and Bulgaria have embarked on a collaborative initiative aimed at launching an international railway route to the Bulgarian city of Varna. This announcement was made by Oleksiy Kuleba, the Vice Prime Minister for Reconstruction of Ukraine and Minister for Community and Territorial Development, via his Telegram channel. Kuleba highlighted that preliminary agreements have already been reached regarding the route and schedule, which are designed to maximize convenience for Ukrainian passengers.

According to the outlined plans, the new route will pass through several key cities: Kyiv, Lviv, Chernivtsi, Suceava, Bucharest, and ultimately, Varna. Kuleba expressed hope that the launch of this connection will take place as early as the beginning of June, marking a significant step forward in the development of transportation links between Ukraine and European Union countries.

The Vice Prime Minister emphasized that this new route is crucial not only for the overall development of transportation infrastructure but also for people, particularly for children's groups who traditionally travel for vacations during the summer. This connection will open up new opportunities for travel and leisure for Ukrainians along the Bulgarian coast.

Kuleba also noted that during the discussions regarding the route, a configuration was considered that allows for the avoidance of idle rolling stock. This, in turn, will help prevent ticket price increases and conserve resources of the carriages for other routes. The estimated travel time will be up to 30 hours, which is competitive with bus transportation, yet significantly more comfortable and predictable. The final travel time will be determined after a test run is conducted.

Regarding ticket prices, Kuleba reported that the Romanian and Bulgarian sides have preliminarily agreed on the possibility of including the new route in the Public Service Obligation (PSO) mechanism, which would allow for a reduction in ticket prices. Active negotiations on this matter are currently ongoing, and the minister expressed hope for a swift conclusion to these discussions.

Kuleba concluded that the next step in the implementation of this project will be the finalization of the tariff decision and the launch of a test train in collaboration with partners. This will be an important milestone towards ensuring comfortable and affordable railway connections between Ukraine and Bulgaria, which will undoubtedly have a positive impact on tourist flow and economic ties between the two countries.