Private Romanian train operator Transferoviar Călători (TFC) will operate an open-access cross-border passenger service linking Romania with Bulgaria, Club Feroviar reported.
Trains will operate between city-center stations in Ruse and Bucharest. They will also serve the station at Bucharest’s Henri Coanda Otopeni International airport, which was built for the UEFA Euro 2020. .
Many Bulgarians from Ruse and northern Bulgaria also choose to fly from Bucharest’s main airport as it is closer than the one in Sofia, the Bulgarian capital.
TFC will use trains which are capable of running at up to 160km/h and offer space for up to 130 passengers, including 16 in first class. TFC is hoping reduced journey times and competitive pricing will attract both leisure and business travelers.
The journey from Ruse to Bucharest North station will take between 50 and 60 minutes, with the onward connection to Bucharest’s airport adding a further 20 to 40 minutes. Tickets will cost Lei 25.
The service has been made possible by recent upgrades to the Giurgiu – Comana – Bucharest North line, which now permit through running between Giurgiu and Bucharest Gara de Nord.
The Romanian railway network is in need of investment and modernization. Railway lines open to commercial traffic were about 11,000 km long (the eighth largest in the EU) in 2020 and there are more than 1,000 stations.
Only 37 % of the network is electrified compared to an average of 54 % across the EU, a 2020 report said.
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