A new intermodal terminal has just been opened at the Industrial Zone Bozhurishte, a logistics area near Sofia, in Bulgaria. The new facility will be used to handle shipping containers discharged at the port and intended for customers in western Bulgaria. Goods between the terminal and the port of Burgas and vice versa will be moved by rail.
The terminal was inaugurated on 23 February and has an operational area of 27,000 square metres, with an expected annual capacity of 60,000 TEUs. The terminal will be equipped with two rail tracks each measuring 300 metres in length. The railway line between Sofia and the port of Burgas is a key section of the Orient – East Med TEN-T Corridor, connecting Greece with Germany.
BMF Port Burgas (BMF), the company managing the port of Burgas in eastern Bulgaria will be in charge of operating the terminal. A spokesperson from BMF told RailFreight.com that the plan for the near future is to establish a container block train from the port to Sofia that would run three times a week. Moreover, BMF is already receiving inquiries from companies to use the terminal as a drop-off depot.
A new intermodal terminal in a key location
BMF’s CEO Boris Balev described the new terminal as “a main connecting link between the port of Burgas and the European network of intermodal terminals”. The total investment for the construction of the terminal revolved around five million euros. As the company explained, the terminal is located along the Sofia-Bankya railway line, in the heart of the Balkans. “Its key location ensures flexibility of container deliveries to/from the interior of the country, both via road and rail”, BMF pointed out. From both Sofia and Burgas, there are in fact various international and domestic links.
Source: Reil Fleight
