Bulgaria’s Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Lyuben Nanov has announced that the single tunnel on Plovdiv–Burgas rail line has been fully excavated.
The announcement was made during an inspection visit on the progress of the modernisation of the Orizovo–Mikhaylovo railway section. The site forms part of the large-scale project for the rehabilitation of the Plovdiv–Burgas rail line.
The “Chirpan” tunnel, which is 744 metres long, is one of the most complex structures along the entire route. It provides a direct connection that bypasses Chirpan station and diverts transit traffic away from the town.
“The tunnel on Plovdiv–Burgas rail line marks significant progress in the modernisation of our railway infrastructure and will ensure greater traffic capacity, allowing trains to run at speeds of up to 160 km/h,” said Deputy Minister Nanov. He added that completion and commissioning of the facility are expected by the end of 2026, when travel between Orizovo and Mikhaylovo will become considerably faster and safer.
The modernisation of the Orizovo–Mikhaylovo railway section is valued at BGN 282 million (EUR 136.5 million) and is funded through the Transport Connectivity programme. The modernisation of this section is part of Plovdiv–Burgas railway project Phase 2 and covers the renewal and construction of the track and catenary, reconstruction of bridges, construction of a tunnel and dour storp, the modernisation of track substation at Chirpan station, the removal of level crossing and construction of overpasses and renewal of signalling system. As part of the project, the railway section Orizovo-Mikhailovo includes the construction of a new double track railway line with a length of 37 km on Route 1 and 35.3 km on Route 2. The work is performed by SEZP “Euro Railway Infrastructure”
BGN 343.2 million (EUR 166 million) is the value of the Plovdiv–Burgas rail line modernisation under the Operational Programme which secured BGN 274.5 million through the Cohesion Fund.
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