Bulgaria prepares staff agreement as private rail operator Ivkoni Express takes over 25% of passenger services

Transport and Communications Minister Georgi Peev has asked for an agreement protecting employees' rights to be ready for signing within a week as the new private rail operator Ivkoni Express enters the market, his ministry said on 5 November, BTA reported. The document was discussed at a meeting of Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ), the National Railway Infrastructure Company (NRIC) and the private operator, covering the transition period, ticketing and staff guarantees.

"The most important thing is for people to have security," Peev said. He set out three principles for the agreement: preserving working conditions and social benefits, voluntary staff transfers, and the principle that "the employee follows the service" when an activity moves to the new operator.

In the first months after the private operator starts, BDZ will sell tickets for both its own trains and those of Ivkoni Express. Final testing of the two ticketing systems is under way, and their integration is expected to be completed in early April 2027. State funding will be distributed in proportion to the services provided, with both operators treated equally, Peev said.

In early 2026, the then transport minister Grozdan Karadjov signed 12-year contracts for passenger rail services after an open competitive procedure. The Western Region, with about 75% of passenger services, went to BDZ Passenger Services. Ivkoni Express was selected for the Northern Region, with 14%, and the Southern Region, with 11%, giving the private operator 25% of passenger rail services in Bulgaria.

Separately, on 4 November the government approved additional spending of €66.4 million in the budget of the Ministry of Transport and Communications for NRIC, to cover the ongoing maintenance and operation of the country's railway infrastructure. The money is meant to ensure that NRIC can meet its statutory duties and keep the network running reliably and safely.