Sofia Metro

Sofia Metro

75px
Overview
Native name	Софийско метро Sofiysko metro
Owner	City of Sofia
Locale	Sofia, Bulgaria
Transit type	Rapid transit
Number of lines	2
Number of stations	34
Daily ridership	320,000 (2014)
Chief executive	Stoyan Bratoev
Headquarters	121, Knyaz Boris I str.
Website	Metropolitan.bg
Operation
Began operation	28 January 1998
Operator(s)	Metropolitan-Sofia JSC
Number of vehicles	52
Technical
System length	38.6 km (24.0 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	Third rail, 825V DC
Top speed	80 km/h (50 mph)
Map of the Sofia Metro

The Sofia Metropolitan (Bulgarian: Софийско метро, translit. Sofiysko metro) is the rapid transit network servicing the Bulgarian capital city Sofia. It began operation on January 28, 1998. As of May 2015, the Sofia Metro consists of two interconnected lines, serving 34 stations, with a total route length of 38.6 kilometres (24.0 mi) being among the top 30 of the most extensive European metro systems. The Metro links the densely populated districts of Lyulin – Mladost (Line 1 – Red) and Nadezhda – Lozenets (Line 2 – Blue). Also, since 2 April 2015, Line 1 has been servicing the Sofia Airport.

History

Planned since the 1960s, construction of the Metro was not officially launched until the late 1990s mainly because the city did not experience an urgent need for an underground system in addition to the stalled construction due to lack of sufficient funding. Another factor was the depth at which the construction works had to be carried out: being one of the oldest cities in Europe, Sofia contains many historical layers underneath its central areas. Evidence of antiquity can be clearly seen at the Serdika Station which exhibits a wealth of unearthed Thracian and Roman ruins and modern architecture. During the construction of the enormous complex of the National Palace of Culture two stations forming part of the then future Line 2 and their connecting tunnels were built.

The construction of the system began from the route that sees the highest volumes of passenger traffic, that can easily reach up to 38,000 at rush hour.

Lines

Due to an increased population, there is a lot of passengers heading toward the city center during weekday mornings, and away from the city centre in the weekday evenings. The necessity of efficient public transport in the direction of the largest passenger flows, transport, and Sofia's environmental problems precipitated the start of the construction of the Sofia Metro. Following the ratification of a technical and economic report on the metro by the Council of Ministers of Bulgaria, and the subsequently approved General City Plan, the general scheme for the development of the lines should consist of three diameters with extensions in the periphery, with a total length of 62 kilometres (39 mi), 63 metro stations, and a 1.1 million daily passenger capacity at the final stage of implementation.

Line	Opened	Current length	Current stations	U/C length	U/C stations	Planned length	Planned stations
1	1998	28 km	23	–	–	30.9 km	25
2	2012	10.6 km	11	1.3 km	1	17 km	17
3	Planned	–	–	–	–	16 km	16
Total:		38.6 km	34	1.3 km	1	63.9 km	58

First Line M1 – Red line

Sofia Metro Line 1
Line 2 Obelya Kakach River Obelya Depot Slivnitsa Lyulin Zapaden Park Suhodolska River Vardar Konstantin Velichkov Vladayska River Opalchenska Serdika Kliment Ohridski Perlovska River Vasil Levski Stadium Joliot-Curie Novachitsa River G.M.Dimitrov Musagenitsa Darvenishka River Mladost 1 Mladost 3 Inter Expo Center - Tsarigradsko shose Druzhba Iskarsko shose Sofiyska Sveta gora Sofia Airport Aleksandar Malinov Akademik Al. Teodorov - Balan Banishka River Business Park Sofia Sofia Park Banishka River Malinova Dolina
Station names in italics are not confirmed.

The first 6.5 kilometres (4.0 mi) long section of line 1 consisting of five stations linking Slivnitsa Boulevard through Lyulin and K. Velichkov Boulevard was inaugurated on 28 January 1998. Opalchenska station entered into service on 17 September 1999 and Serdika station situated on St Nedelya Square followed on 31 October 2000, extending the total system length to 8.1 kilometres (5.0 mi). The operational section of the line was further extended with a 1.8 kilometres (1.1 mi) long section, reaching Obelya housing estate in April 2003.

The extension of Line 1 continued in 2005 with the start of the construction of 4.8 kilometres (3.0 mi) of tunnels and three stations linking St Nedelya Square and the Interped World Trade Center in Izgrev (station Frédéric Joliot-Curie). 2006 saw the start of the construction of another section of the same line (consisting of 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) of tunnels and three stations) linking Izgrev and Mladost I housing estate. The completion of the first three stations was projected for the autumn of 2007, however as a result of various delays it was the second section from the first line (Vasil Levski stadium – Mladost 1) that first entered into service on 8 May 2009, operating for a brief period of time separately from the north-west portion of the line. The remaining section between Serdika and Vasil Levski stadium station finally entered into service on 7 September 2009 establishing an interrupted link between Obelya and Mladost 1 stations.

Line 1 branches in two: Northern branch from Mladost I to Sofia Airport (7.2 kilometres (4.5 mi), six stations), and Southern branch from Mladost I to Business Park Sofia (2.62 kilometres (1.63 mi), three underground stations). The construction of the first two stations of the Northern branch began on 15 February 2009 and was completed on 25 April 2012. The construction of Northern branch extension to Sofia Airport for two underground and two overground stations, 4.968 kilometres (3.087 mi) at the cost of BGN 136,757,630 (EUR 69,923,066), VAT exclusive began in 2013, and was completed on 2 April 2015. The construction of the Southern branch to Mladost IV and the Sofia Ring Road began on 25 April 2013. The stretch was completed on 8 May 2015. It cost BGN 85,767,683 (EUR 43,852,320), VAT exclusive, and serves the majority of the second most densely populated area in Sofia.

Main Line

Station	Image	In service since	Notes
Obelya (Обеля)		20 April 2003	Set to be used as a link between the depot and line M2. Servicing Obelya housing estate
Slivnitsa (Сливница)		28 January 1998	servicing Lyulin housing estate
Lyulin (Люлин)		28 January 1998	servicing Lyulin housing estate
Zapaden Park (Западен парк)		28 January 1998	situated nearby Mega Mall Sofia and servicing Lyulin housing estate
Vardar (Вардар)		28 January 1998
Konstantin Velichkov (Константин Величков)		28 January 1998
Opalchenska (Опълченска)		17 September 1999	situated nearby Mall of Sofia
Serdika (Сердика)		31 October 2000	transfer station between the Red (M1) and Blue (M2) lines
St. Kliment Ohridski Sofia University (СУ „Св. Климент Охридски“)		7 September 2009	situated nearby Sofia University
Vasil Levski Stadium (Стадион „Васил Левски“)		8 May 2009	situated nearby Vasil Levski National Stadium
Joliot-Curie (Жолио Кюри)		8 May 2009
G.M.Dimitrov (Г. М. Димитров)		8 May 2009
Musagenitsa (Мусагеница)		8 May 2009	servicing Musagenitsa housing estate
Mladost 1 (Младост 1)		8 May 2009	servicing Mladost 1 housing estate

Northern branch

Station	Image	In service since	Notes
Mladost 3 (Младост 3)		25 April 2012	servicing Mladost 3 housing estate
Inter Expo Center - Tsarigradsko Shose (Интер Експо Център - Цариградско шосе)		25 April 2012	situated on Tsarigradsko shose
Druzhba (Дружба)		2 April 2015	servicing Druzhba housing estate
Iskarsko Shose (Искърско шосе)		2 April 2015
Sofiyska Sveta Gora (Софийска Света гора)		2 April 2015
Sofia Airport (Летище София)		2 April 2015	situated nearby Sofia Airport with direct connection to Terminal 2

Southern branch

Station	Image	In service since	Notes
Aleksandar Malinov (Александър Малинов)		8 May 2015	servicing Mladost 2 and Mladost 3 housing estate
Akad. Aleksandar Teodorov-Balan (Акад. Александър Теодоров-Балан)		8 May 2015	servicing Mladost 2 and Mladost 3 housing estate
Business Park Sofia (Бизнес Парк София)		8 May 2015	situated nearby Business Park Sofia and servicing Mladost 4 housing estate
Sofia Park (София парк)		planned	will be situated nearby residential district Sofia Park (жк. София парк) and Sofia Ring Road
Simeonovo (Симеоново)		planned	will be situated nearby gondola lift bg:Кабинков лифт Симеоново - Алеко and Sofia Ring Road

Second Line M2 – Blue Line

Sofia Metro Line 2
Line 1 Obelya Kakach River Lomsko shose Iliyantsi Rozhen Beli Dunav Svoboda Nadezhda Lev Tolstoy Suhodolska Han Kubrat Knyaginya Maria Luiza Central Railway Station Lavov most Vladayska Serdika II Serdika NDK Perlovska European Union James Bourchier Vitosha Cherni vrah Dragalevtsi
Station names in italics are not confirmed.

The second line of the Sofia Metro links the districts of Obelya, Nadezhda, the city centre and Lozenets to the south of the city. Half of the construction cost was covered by the European Union, with the remaining part funded by the state and city budgets. Construction of the 6.4 km section between Nadezhda interchange and Lozenets district via Central railway station and the National Palace of Culture started on 14 December 2008. Work on the section between Obelya residential District and Nadezhda started in February 2010. Both sections of the line entered into service on 31 August 2012.

NDK and European Union stations and their connecting tunnels were partly completed during the construction of the National Palace of Culture and the redevelopment of the surrounding area in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

In March 2014, a contract for a south extension of the line was signed. The extension is 1.3 km long includes Vitosha Metro Station, located at the Hladilnika neighbourhood. The construction works are expected to be completed in 22 months from the construction permit, and is scheduled to open in June 2016.

Provisions have been made for the construction of future branch to Iliyantsi, starting from the existing junction located between Knyaginya Maria Luiza and Han Kubrat stations.

Main Line

Station	Image	In service since	Notes
Obelya (Обеля)		20 April 2003	Set to be used as a link between the depot and line M2.
Lomsko shose (Ломско шосе)		31 August 2012	servicing Vrabnitsa housing estate
Beli Dunav (Бели Дунав)		31 August 2012	situated on the border between Nadezhda 3 and Nadezhda 4 housing estates
Nadezhda (Надежда)		31 August 2012	servicing Nadezhda housing estate and situated on Lomsko shose boulevard
Han Kubrat (Хан Кубрат)		31 August 2012	situated on the border between Nadezhda 1 and Nadezhda 2 housing estates
Knyaginya Maria Luiza (Княгиня Мария Луиза)		31 August 2012	situated nearby Klementinska hospital
Central Railway Station (Централна ж.п. гара)		31 August 2012	situated nearby Sofia Central Station and Central Bus Station Sofia
Lavov Most (Лъвов мост)		31 August 2012	situated nearby Lavov Most
Serdika II (Сердика II)		31 August 2012	transfer station between the Red (M1) and Blue (M2) lines
NDK (НДК )		31 August 2012	situated to the north of the National Palace of Culture
European Union (Европейски съюз)		31 August 2012	situated nearby the Earth and Man National Museum and City Center Sofia
James Bourchier (Джеймс Баучер)		31 August 2012	servicing Lozenets housing estate
Vitosha (Витоша)			scheduled for June 2016; construction started August 2014
Cherni vrah (Черни връх)			planned
Dragalevtsi (Драгалевци)			planned

Iliyantsi branch (planned)

• Lev Tolstoy (Лев Толстой)
• Svoboda (Свобода)
• Rozhen (Рожен)
• Iliyantsi (Илиянци)

Third Line M3 – Green Line

The 16 km long third line is planned to connect Ovcha Kupel neighbourhood (in southwest Sofia) and Vasil Levski neighbourhood (in northeast Sofia), with 19 stations in total, including two transfer stations in the city centre, with both of the already operational lines. According to the Municipality, they estimate the line will be put into service by 2018.

There will be 8 overground and 11 underground stations. The project design contract was awarded to the Czech company Metroprojekt Praha a.s.

In March 2014, a tender for construction of the central section of the line was announced. The section is 7 km long and includes 7 stations, two of them transfer to lines 1 and 2. With the announcement of the tender it became clear, that the initial plans for 19 stations had been partly amended and 2 of the stations will be not be built, one at Doyran boulevard and another at Shipka street. The tunnel of the central section shall be excavated by a TBM, while the construction of stations shall be awarded to other companies. The construction of the section shall be completed within 45 months. In January 2015, a tender for 20 trains, that shall serve the central section of the line, was announced. Driverless train operation, with Grade of Automation 3 (GoA 3), and platform screen doors will ensure the safety of the passengers. Unlike lines 1 and 2, where the trains collect power through a third rail, line 3 trains will be equipped with pantographs. CAF and Siemens applied bids in the tender for the trains, with Siemens winning it.

Fares and ticketing

The price of a single ticket is 1 lev, equivalent to ~0.51 euro. It can be issued either by a cashier, or by a vending machine. When obtained, the single ticket must be validated within 30 minutes at a validator. Pre-paid magnetic card also could be bought (at a price of 1 lev) with minimum 10 pre-paid rides (at a price of 8 levs for 10 pre-paid rides). Daily and monthly cards are also available.

Rolling stock

"Rusich" train at Serdika Metro Station.

The system uses two types of rolling stock, both made in Russia.

The older train sets, type 81-717/714, have been manufactured by Metrovagonmash in Mytishchi near Moscow and consisted of 48 carriages in total. They were delivered in 1990 – some 8 years prior to the opening of the first section of the system.

The second generation of rolling stock, type 81-740/741 "Rusich", have also been manufactured by Metrovagonmash. The delivery of this type commenced in 2005. With line M2 now in service, 40 more trains of this type were delivered by the end of 2013.

Ridership

Sofia Metro ridership

Year	Passengers per day	Change	Metro Stations
1998	10,000		Initial 5
1999			6
2000	70,000	700.0	7
2001			7
2002	90,000	28.6	7
2003	80,000	11.1	8
2004			8
2005	70,000	12.5	8
2006			8
2007	90,000	28.6	8
2008	76,000	15.6	8
2009	201,000	264.5	14
2010	187,000	7.0	14
2011	190,000	1.6	14
2012	350,000	84.2	27
2013	280,000	20.0	27
2014	320,000	14.3	27
2015 (01.01 – )			34

See also

• Trams in Sofia
• Trolleybuses in Sofia
• Public buses in Sofia
• Sofia Public Transport
• List of metro systems

External links

• Sofia Metro – Official Web Site
• MetroSofia.com (English)
• Interactive Sofia Metro Map
• Sofia metro @ urbanrail.net
• Metrovagonmash OAO – Information about the rolling stock
• Metro @ public-transport.net
• Unofficial Sofia tube map inspired by London's one, designed for foreign visitors
• Sofia Metro – quick info and maps