China steams to the rescue for Bulgaria’s creaking railways

CHEREPISH, Bulgaria: “Granny Bear” has proved a big hit in Bulgaria since the 1930s steam train returned from retirement, chugging daytrippers through stunning scenery from Sofia to the Cherepish Monastery.

“She is super, the engine, I like it better than a modern one!” said an excited Dimitar Kirilov, 12, taking the trip on the “Baba Metsa” train with his grandparents.

A particular attraction is the luxury carriage used by Bulgaria’s former king, Boris III (1918-1943). “So elegant and modest,” gushed Rada Gancheva, 58.

The comforting hoots, whistles and puffs of steam trains have proved a big money spinner for Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ), earning it 250,000 euros ($280,000) last year.

“The Vitosha Express diesel train of (ex-communist dictator) Todor Zhivkov will soon be made available also,” promised BDZ’s Chief Executive Georgy Drumev.

However, this success belies the dire state of the railways in the European Union’s poorest country.

According to a 2015 Boston Consulting Group study, Bulgarian trains have the worst quality and safety record among 25 European countries surveyed.

Creaking infrastructure and ageing locomotives and rolling stock mean the average train speed is just 55 km per hour.

The 440-km trip from Sofia to Varna on the Black Sea takes eight hours — and that’s on the so-called “express train”.

“We started with a 40-minute delay and it grew to four hours by the time we arrived in Varna, making it a 12hour journey,” said a recent traveller, Maria Damyanova, 48.

Horror stories abound on the Internet about people’s experiences, particularly in winter when the simplest journey can turn into a nightmare.

“Iron nerves and plenty of food are needed if you want to take the train in Bulgaria,” reads a typical social media entry by a disgruntled passenger, Margarit Blagoev, 35.

In January, 50 frustrated passengers jumped off their regional train when it was brought to a stop mid-journey and stood on the adjacent tracks in the path of an oncoming express train to make it stop and allow their train to head off first.

Obsolete infrastructure and thefts of bits of track and signalling systems make derailments, especially of cargo trains, quite common.

After failing for years to attract funds, help may be on the way however from China, which is seeking to invest heavily in infrastructure projects in eastern Europe and elsewhere.

The China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation (CRRC) group has pledged to reimburse 130 million euros of BDZ’s debts and invest 170 million euros in new trains.

In addition, it has offered to invest 300 million euros in a new train assembly plant. But not everyone in Bulgaria is pleased at the prospect.

“The project will aggravate the risk of bankruptcy,” said economist Georgy Angelov.

— AFP A driver looks out the window of a locomotive prior to the departure from Cherepish train station to Sofia through the gorge of the Iskar River, northwestern Bulgaria. “Granny Bear” has proved a big hit in Bulgaria since the 1930s steam train returned...

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