Sat, Nov 21 2009

40% railway stations in Bulgaria have been renovated, minister says

Mon, Feb 23 2009 11:04 CET byNick Iliev 742 Views
40% railway stations in Bulgaria have been renovated, minister says

Photo: Julia Lazarova

Out of 348 train stations across Bulgaria, 147 have been upgrade and refurbished completely, Transport Minister Petar Moutafchiev told reporters on March 21 during the inauguration ceremony of the modernised stations in Kaloyanovo and Graf Ignatievo, both in Plovdiv region, as quoted by Stroitelstvo Gradut weekly.

"The National Railway Infrastructure Company (NRIC) has invested 350 000 leva for the repair and modernisation project of Kaloyanovo and Graf Ignatievo alone," NRIC general director Anton Ginev said.

As part of the ongoing maintenance programme, 80 railway bridges in Bulgaria have also been renovated, 18 of which are in the Plovdiv region.

The terminal in Kaloyanovo had to be restored thoroughly after it had sustained heavy damage during the 2005 floods, for which NRIC allocated 200 000 leva for the facelift, as well as the installation of new equipment.

"Graf Ignatievo was made a primary target for modernisation as it is in immediate proximity to Bulgaria's biggest and most modern air force base," Ginev said.

Both stations have had new equipment installed and their the main buildings modernised, including the ticket centres, waiting rooms, the addition of new cafes, modern electronic boards, new pavements, vertical and horizontal markings, and new roofs. Both stations have also had their infrastructure improved and "can be fully and comfortably accessed by disabled people," Ginev said.

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