Hitachi Rail, in consortium with Bulgarian partner CERB, has been selected by the National Railway Infrastructure Company (NRIC) to upgrade the 35-km Voluyak–Dragoman route with ETCS Level 1 and GSM-R signalling technology.
The double-track line, located west of Sofia and leading to the Serbian border, forms part of the EU’s Orient/East-Med Corridor, one of the strategic railway axes linking Central Europe with Greece and Turkey.
Hitachi Rail will design, install and commission the ERTMS equipment, while CERB will support local installation and GSM-R deployment. The works are scheduled to be completed within 34 months, aligning with Bulgaria’s wider rail modernisation programme.
According to the project brief, the upgrade will allow speeds of up to 160 km/h, improve operational reliability and ensure interoperability with neighbouring networks — a requirement for seamless international freight and passenger services.
“This section helps complete a modern, interoperable corridor linking the Serbian border, Sofia, the Black Sea and the Turkish border,” said Manfred Zekl, Head of Branch Bulgaria at Hitachi Rail. “It supports more efficient freight flows and reliable international passenger services across the region.”
Hitachi Rail has already deployed over 250 km of ETCS Level 1, more than 100 onboard units, electronic interlockings, and a Central Traffic Control Centre in Bulgaria. Previous projects have included upgrades to the Plovdiv–Svilengrad, Septemvri–Plovdiv and Plovdiv–Burgas lines.