Bulgaria faces railway funding gaps as gas transit capacity increases

Bulgaria is facing challenges in securing European funding for railway modernization due to a lack of technical expertise and ready-to-implement projects. According to Boryana Tazgetarska, a communications manager for the Europe's Rail partnership, the country lacks the necessary documentation to apply for significant EU funds aimed at standardizing European rail networks and enabling seamless cross-border travel.

In the energy sector, gas transit capacity from Greece to Bulgaria has increased by 30%, reaching 93 gigawatt-hours per day. Energy Minister Iva Petrova stated that the development of the Vertical Gas Corridor is strengthening regional energy security and creating new supply routes for Southeast Europe. The expansion includes the operational Kulata–Kresna section, with the Piperovo–Dupnitsa segment expected to increase capacity by an additional 10%.

Furthermore, plans are underway to complete the Rupca–Vetrino section, which could double transit capacity to Romania. The infrastructure, supported by the IGB connection and LNG terminals in Alexandroupolis and Revoutsa, facilitates the movement of Azerbaijani gas and LNG toward Serbia, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, and Hungary. Additionally, Bulgaria has added over 6 gigawatts of battery capacity to its power system within the last year to support renewable energy integration.