Bulgaria’s National Railway Infrastructure Company (NRIC) awarded the consortium of Hitachi Rail (leader) and CERB to install the ERTMS of the on the Voluyak–Dragoman railway line.
The contract includes the deployment of ETCS Level 1 trackside technology and GSM-R communications along the 35 km double-track line between Dragoman and Voluyak, a suburb of Sofia.
Hitachi Rail will take charge of the design, delivery, installation, and commissioning of the ETCS Level 1 trackside system. As part of the collaboration, Hitachi Rail will coordinate with CERB to manage local installation activities and oversee the turnkey implementation of GSM-R system.
The project will be delivered over 34 months, with completion expected in line with NRIC’s broader infrastructure modernisation timeline.
The upgrade of Voluyak–Dragoman railway line is critical cross-border section west of Sofia, improving speed and interoperability on the route to Serbia. As part of the EU’s strategic Orient/East-Med Corridor, the project strengthens Bulgaria’s role as a key transit country between Central and Southeastern Europe.
“In combination with Hitachi Rail’s previous ERTMS deployments, the Voluyak–Dragoman railway section helps complete a modernised, interoperable rail corridor linking the Serbian border, Sofia, the Black Sea and the Turkish border – supporting more efficient freight flows and reliable international passenger services across the region,” Manfred Zekl, Head of Branch Bulgaria, Hitachi Rail, said.
As part of the Voluyak–Dragoman project, Hitachi Rail is deploying its proven ETCS Level 1 trackside system to enhance train control by continuously monitoring speed and train movements. The system transmits real-time data to onboard units, enabling automatic braking and improved driver support for safer and more efficient operations. Integrated with electronic interlockings, it supports speeds of up to 160 km/h and delivers a fully interoperable, future-ready signalling solution aligned with European standards.
Recently, Hitachi Rail in consortium with Alokor won a contract to maintain the signalling systems on the Sofia–Plovdiv–Svilengrad rail corridor.
Share on:
