Restoration of the design parameters of Ruse-Varna railway line
Bulgaria
Bulgaria
- Improvement of the quality of rail transport services by reducing the traveling time, increasing the capacity, improving operational performance in terms of reliability, maintainability and technical readiness, increasing the safety of transport operations, and reduction of environmental impact.
- Stimulation of economic development on regional and national level. Achievement of more cost-effective and reliable transport services for the transport of passengers and goods, focused on efficiency and achievement of interoperability with other modes of transport. Reduction of costs for railway transport services and rationalization of the use of railway infrastructure.
- Achievement of interoperability of the railway system with the railway system within the European Union.
- Environmental protection near the railway line and reduction of hazards during transport of dangerous goods and cargo.
The project added value in the light of TEN-T policy is as follows:
- The project contributes to the development of the interconnections, as well as to the elimination of bottleneck in the EU network;
- The project contributes to the gradual achievement of an interoperable rail. It shall ensure the technical interoperability of the Ruse-Varna railway line as part of the EU network;
- It shall optimize the capacity and efficiency of the existing infrastructure;
- It contributes to the promotion of intermodality by improving a railway line connecting two of the main ports in Bulgaria, one of which is maritime and the other - river;
- It shall improve the safety and reliability of part of the railway network;
- The project integrates environmental concerns in the design and implementation of the trans-European transport network;
- The project is directed to meet new demands.
The implementation of the project should contribute to the increase of traffic along the following main directions in the framework of 3SI:
- Bulgaria – Romania – Ukraine
- Bulgaria – Romania – Belarus – Baltic countries
- Bulgaria – Romania – Hungary – Czech Republic – Poland.
The railway line Ruse-Varna is the most direct link between the Port of Ruse, on the Rhine-Danube Core Network Corridor, and the Black Sea Port of Varna. The railway line carries out the transport communication between the Тrans-European transport corridors № VІІ and № VІІІ (at Sindel railway station). The construction of a logistic transport connection between the Danube River – railway transport – Black Sea has a significant role for the development of intermodal transport.
The line is electrified and has a total length of 227 km, divided into three sections:
- Ruse Marshalling station – Ruse Passengers station (on main railway line № ІV ) – 6,662 km, electrified single-way railway line
- Ruse Marshalling station – Kaspichan station (on the main railway line № IX) – 136,643 km electrified single-way railway line
- Kaspichan station – Varna station (on the main railway line № ІІ ) – 83,698 km electrified double-way railway line.
The current state of the infrastructure installations along this railway line causes difficulties to the regional and the national railway transport. In this sense, the railway section Ruse-Varna can be labelled as a “bottleneck”, because the average weighted speed is 66.5 km/h for the passenger trains and 62 km/h for the freight trains, with an average design speed of 79.3 km/h for this section.
The project is classified as rehabilitation of the railway infrastructure for passengers’ and freight transportation. As a result, the travelling time will be reduced, providing technical speed between 70 km/h and 130 km/h for different sections, and the capacity of the line will be increased, whilst the harmful effects of the traffic noise will be reduced. (Achievement of higher speeds within the existing route is not possible.).
The project was built on the revised TEN-T policy, in order to eliminate a bottleneck in the interconnections in the southeastern region of the EU, as well as those with the EU neighbouring countries; create conditions for optimal combination and integration of the various modes of transport and optimize the capacity and efficiency of the existing railway line. It also directed meet the new demands, as the latest traffic forecasts show significant increase in the traffic on the relation served by the line. The railway line Ruse-Varna is a bottleneck in the sense of article 3 (q) of TEN-T Regulation in terms of technical and functional parameters like low bearing capacity, low operation speed, etc.
- 2009-2014Completed
Phase 1: Preparation - finished.
Within this phase, the project "Technical аssistance for the restoration of the design parameters of the railway line Ruse-Varna" was successfully implemented, funded by the Annual Work Program of TEN-T 2007. As a result of its implementation, the following developments are available: incl. traffic analysis and demand forecasts; Technical and preliminary designs; CBA; Decision of the Ministry of Environment and Water stating that there is no need for a complete EIA for this investment proposal (at this time this decision is not valid because it has expired); Tender strategy of the construction works, certain stages of implementation, etc.
In order to achieve the maximum effect of future rehabilitation works, in 2014 an update of the approved Rehabilitation Program was made. The update is related to the need to meet interoperability requirements.
- By 2027Construction
Phase 2: Implementation of the project for the railway section Ruse-Kaspichan - in the process of implementation.
- Stage I: "Restoration of the design parameters of the railway line Ruse-Kaspichan", which includes the following main activities: Detailed design and construction for rehabilitation of the railway infrastructure - permanent way and catenary.
Stations:
- Ongoing construction works in Yastrebovo station - planned completion date - June 2022.
- Completed construction works in Senovo station - April 2022.
- By the end of 2022 will be launched tender procedures for reconstruction of Obraztsov chiflik, Vetovo, Pliska, Hitrino, Razgrad, Samuil, Visoka polyana and Prostorno stations. It is planned that the construction works to be completed by the end of 2023 - mid of 2024.
Premanent way
- Ruse marshalling station - Obrazcov chiflik section - ongoing design preparation phase. Approved detailed design by Expert Technical Council at NRIC and submitted documents for issuing of building permit. Ongoing preparation activities for opening of construction site.
- Obraztsov chiflik - Yastrebovo section - ongoing design preparation phase. Approved detailed design by Expert Technical Council at NRIC and submitted documents for issuing of building permit. Ongoing preparation activities for opening of construction site.
- Samuil - Visoka polyana section - completed construction works. Ongoing activities for signing of use premit.
- Hitrino - Pliska section - completed construction works. Ongoing activities for signing of use permit.
- Planned tender procedures for renewal of permanent way by 2022: Visoka polyana - Hitrino section, Vetovo - Senovo section, Kaspitchan - Provadia section.
Catenary and power supply
- TSS Razgrad: ongoing construction works (financed under OPTTI 2014-2020).
- TSS Varna: ongoing construction works (financed under OPTTI 2014-2020).
- Samuil-Visloka polyana section: ongoing construction works.
- Hitrino - Pliska section: ongoing construction works.
- Ruse marshalling yard - Obraztsov chiflik section: ongoing materials delivery. Submitted documents for issuance of building permit.
- Obrazcov chiflik - Yastrebovo: ongoing materials delivery. Submitted documents for issuance of building permit.
- Senovo station: ongoing construction works.
- Yastrebovo station: ongoing construction works.
Ongoing tender procedures: "Restoration of design parameters of Hitrino station" and "Restoration of the design parameters of Pliska station".
Ongoing preparation of the tender documentation: Modernization of TSS Chervena voda; "Restoration of design parameters of Vyatovo station"; "Restoration of design parameters of Obraztsov chiflik station"; "Restoration of design parameters of Prostorno station".
Forthcoming contract signing - Construction of new TSS Ruse - June 2022 (financed under OPTTI 2014-2020).
The implementation of Stage I is financed with national funding (excl. TSSs Varna and Razgrad)
- Stage II: "Deployment of ERTMS along Ruse-Kaspichan railway section" . The project is planned for implementation after 2022 under National Recovery and Resilience Plan of the Republic of Bulgaria. With the implementation of this project all necessary activities for full implementation of ERTMS level 2 in the site will be performed in accordance with EU interoperability requirements. The tender procedures for the project implementation are planed to be launched by the end of 2022..The project indicative value is 205.86 mln. BGN.
- after 2023Planning
Phase 3: Implementation of the project for the railway section Kaspichan-Varna - forthcoming after 2023 in case of secured funding.
- 2009-2014Design
Design and update
In the period 2009- 2011 a technical design was developed to restore the design parameters of the railway line. An update of the planned construction and installation works has been carried out in order to achieve full interoperability of the railway line with the Trans-European railway network.
In order to achieve maximum effect of future rehabilitation works, in 2014 the approved Rehabilitation programme (prepared as a result of the TA project - Phase I) has been revised. This actualization was necessary because of the need to meet the requirements for achievement of interoperability .
It is expected that as a result of the update of the scope of the project after the completion of the construction activities the following results will be achieved for the whole line Ruse-Varna:
- travel time by fast train to be reduced by 40 minutes;
- increasing the capacity from 48 to 60 trains in 24 hours;
- average technical speed to reach 88 km / h.
Indicative value: € 383,000,000. Stage I of Phase 2 of project is financed by the state budget (excl. TSSs Varna and Razgrad). Stage II of Phase 2 is planned to be financed under National Recovery and Resilience Plan of the Republic of Bulgaria. .
secured
The implementation of the Phase 2 of the project for the railway section Ruse-Varna (Ruse-Kaspichan section) is divaded in two Stages as follows:
Stage I "Restoration of the design parameters of the railway line Ruse-Kaspichan", which includes the following main activities: Detailed design and construction for rehabilitation of the railway infrastructure - permanent way and catenary. The implementation of this stage is financed by the state budged(national financing) and its indicative value up to 2027 is 370.348 BGN.
Stage II: "Deployment of ERTMS along Ruse-Kaspichan railway section". The project is planned for implementation after 2021 under National Recovery and Resilience Plan of the Republic of Bulgaria. The project indicative value is 205.86 mln. BGN