Bulgaria positions rail at the centre of its urban and suburban mobility future

Bulgaria’s newly drafted Public Transport Act signals a major shift toward rail as the core of both national and urban mobility. The legislation proposes a National Transport Scheme built on real passenger-flow data, enabling cities to better match services to demand and align infrastructure planning with actual travel patterns.

A central urban feature of the Act is rail–bus synchronisation, ensuring suburban rail services are coordinated with local bus timetables so stations function as multimodal hubs rather than isolated endpoints. This will be supported by a single electronic ticket valid across trains, buses and urban networks—removing barriers between modes and making multimodal travel more seamless.

The law also introduces minimum service guarantees, requiring at least three daily rail connections nationwide, with higher frequencies where demand is strong. This strengthens accessibility for suburban and peripheral areas, helping reduce reliance on car commuting.

Improved governance and sustainability provisions—such as clearer operator responsibilities and incentives for cleaner vehicles—aim to deliver more reliable and low-emission services. Taken together, the Act positions rail as a strategic tool for Bulgaria’s cities, supporting more integrated, equitable and climate-friendly mobility.

Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not reflect those of the European Commission

Author: Amy Nicholson