Railway repairs in Serbia and Romania threaten Balkan freight traffic

Bulgarian Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Peev has warned that upcoming railway infrastructure repairs in Serbia and Romania could significantly disrupt international freight traffic through Bulgaria.

In Serbia, the Niš – Dimitrovgrad section is scheduled to close for approximately 200 days starting in September 2026. Meanwhile, Romania plans a total suspension of traffic on the Giurgiu North – Ruse line from April to December 2027.

Bulgarian officials expressed concern that the simultaneous restriction of these two major routes would impact cargo flows between Central Europe, the Balkans, and Turkey. To mitigate these effects, Minister Peev proposed coordinating the repairs and pre-allocating time slots for freight trains to maintain maximum continuity. Representatives from the railway infrastructure companies of all three nations have agreed to continue technical discussions to manage capacity and minimize negative consequences for international transport.