BG, GR, RO Seek €6B Rail Corridor Funding

Bulgaria, Greece, and Romania will submit a joint application for funding to modernize the Thessaloniki–Sofia–Bucharest railway line, a strategic project intended to improve North–South rail connections. The decision was formalized during the first working meeting for the Black Sea-Aegean Sea corridor in Sofia, attended by representatives from the three nations, the European Commission, the European Railway Agency (ERA), the European Investment Bank (EIB), and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). External data sources confirm the trilateral agreement to coordinate technical specifications, dates, and costs for the joint funding application.

According to Bulgarian Transport Minister Grozdan Karadjov, the three countries will synchronize efforts across the planning, design, and authorization phases. This approach is designed to enable simultaneous work on all national segments, thereby reducing the administrative delays that have historically impeded cross-border infrastructure projects. The initiative relaunches the Thessaloniki–Sofia–Bucharest project after an almost ten-year hiatus. The last direct rail service between Sofia and Thessaloniki ceased operations in 2017, and its resumption is considered essential for regional mobility and freight transport.