Sofia Metro

Sofia Metro Софийско метро
File:SofiaMetroLogo.png
Overview
Owner	City of Sofia
Locale	Sofia, Bulgaria
Transit type	Rapid transit
Number of lines	1
Number of stations	13
Daily ridership	130 000
Chief executive	Stoyan Bratoev
Headquarters	121, Knyaz Boris I str.
Operation
Began operation	1998
Operator(s)	Metropolitan-Sofia JSC
Number of vehicles	21
Technical
System length	Template:Km to mi
Track gauge	1435
Electrification	Third rail, 825V DC
Top speed	90 km/h (56 mph)

The Sofia Metropolitan (Bulgarian: Софийско метро, Sofiysko metro) is the underground urban railway network servicing the Bulgarian capital Sofia. It is the first and only network of this kind in Bulgaria. As of May 8, 2009 it has been extended to 13 stations and a total length of 15.9 km.

History

Planned since the 1960s, the building of Sofia Metro was not officially launched until the 1990s mainly because the city did not experience an urgent need for an underground system. Another factor was the construction works depth — being one of the oldest cities in Europe, Sofia contains many historical layers right underneath its very core. Evidence of antiquity can be clearly seen at the Serdika Station, a mixture of unearthed Thracian and Roman ruins and modern architecture. During the building of the National Palace of Culture in 1982, two metro stations and the tunnels connecting them were built.

The construction of the metropolitan began from the areas that experience the most of the traffic in the capital city, where the largest streams of passengers form, reaching up to 40,000 at rush hour.

The first section of line 1 was finished on 28 January 1998, with 5 stations and a length of 6.5 km from Slivnitsa Boulevard through Lyulin to K. Velichkov Boulevard. Opalchenska station was opened on 17 September 1999 and Serdika station on St Nedelya Square followed on 31 October 2000, making the total length 8.1 km. In April 2003, the functioning section was prolonged to Obelya, an addition of 1.8 km.

The line 1 lengthening continued in 2005 (as planned in 2004), from St Nedelya Square through the centre of the city to Interpred in Izgrev (station Frédéric Joliot-Curie), 4.8 km in length, 3 stations. Meanwhile the construction of a new section of the same line started in 2006 from Interpred to Mladost 1 housing estate, 3.2 km, 3 stations. The completion term of the first three new stations was autumn 2007, but after that a delay was announced. As a result the second section from the first line (Vasil Levski stadium - Mladost 1) has become operational on May 8, 2009, while the remaining part (Serdika - Vasil Levski stadium) is to be opened in October 2009. According the mayor of Sofia, Boyko Borisov, an effort will be made to open the remaining section before the Day of Sofia (September 17). Under last data, opening should take place on September, 7th.

Two additional extensions of line 1 are planned — from Mladost to Sofia Airport (7.2 km, 6 stations) and from Mladost to Business Park Sofia (4 stations). The construction of the first extension (2 stations) began on 15 February 2009.

Construction of the second line between Nadezhda junction and Cherni vruh blvd., via the Central Railway Station and the National Palace of Culture started on 14 December 2008, length 6.5 km, 7 stations. Both stations built in 80s will be part of that line.

A third line is included in the city plan that will run from Knyazhevo district to the Levski housing estate. For now there is a little info for that line and the start of construction works is still unknown.

Map of the Sofia Metro

Stations

Serdika station

Line 1

• Obelya (Обеля)
• Slivnitsa (Сливница)
• Lyulin (Люлин)
• Zapaden park (Западен парк)
• Vardar (Вардар)
• Konstantin Velichkov (Константин Величков)
• Opalchenska (Опълченска)
• Serdika (Сердика)
• St. Kliment Ohridski Sofia University (СУ „Св. Климент Охридски“)
• Vasil Levski stadium (Стадион „Васил Левски“)
• Joliot-Curie (Жолио Кюри)
• G.M.Dimitrov (Г. М. Димитров)
• Musagenitsa quarter (Мусагеница)
• Mladost 1 (Младост 1)

The extension continues to Druzhba housing estate and to Sofia Airport. The building of two stations on this diameter began in February 2009.

• Mladost 3 (Младост 3) In Mladost 3 housing estate
• Tsarigradsko Chaussee (Цариградско шосе) Near Inter Expo centre (IEC)

Line 2

• Obelya (Обеля - existing station, connecting Line 1 with Line 2)
• Lomsko Chaussee (Ломско шосе) in Vrabnitsa housing estate
• Beli Dunav (Бели Дунав) On the border between Nadezhda 3 and Nadezhda 4 housing estates
• Nadezhda (Надежда) On Lomsko shose boulevard
• Han Kubrat (Хан Кубрат) On the border between Nadezhda 1 and Nadezhda 2 housing estates
• Knyaginya Maria Louise (Княгиня Мария Луиза) near Fifth city hospital
• Central Railway Station (Централна гара)
• Lions' Bridge (Лъвов мост)
• St.Nedelya square (Света Неделя)
• NDK 1, built (НДК 1)
• St.Naum (Св.Наум)
• Lozenets (Лозенец)
• Hladilnika (Хладилника)
• Lev Tolstoy (Лев Толстой)
• Svoboda (Свобода)
• Iliyantsi (Илиянци)

Picture Gallery

• 
  Obelya Station
• 
  Obelya Station
• 
  Obelya Station
• 
  Zapaden Park
• 
  Serdika
• 
  Serdika
• 
  Station Vasil Levski stadium
• 
  Station Vasil Levski stadium
• 
  Musagenitsa Station
• 
  Sofia Metro

See also

• List of rapid transit systems

External links

• Sofia Metropolitan
• Unofficial site
• Sofia Metro Map