1332iExtra53

BLNI Extra 53 – A Sofia to Kyiv round trip pictorial
[E26] Bulgaria/Romania/Moldova/Ukraine - A Sofia to Kyiv round trip pictorial
Some pictures taken during a Sofia – Kyiv round trip by rail using two different routes, with only two
bus links and a short cross-frontier walk at Solotvino. Impressively, all but two train services ran near
enough on time. The exceptions were the disgustingly late Kyiv – Rakhiv sleeper referred to below,
and a Brașov – Sibiu stopper which did very well until within the suburbs of its destination, but then
somehow managed to drop 20 minutes. The information in the captions regarding timings and routes
was not checked against the schedules applicable at the time, so apologies for inevitable inaccuracies!

This is Ruse Tsentralnya (Central), the last/first stop in Bulgaria for international trains to/from Romania. Some
internal services proceed further towards the border, serving Ruse Tovarna halt and Ruse Razperedelitelna
(Marshalling Yard) station. A CFR locomotive has been attached to the now much truncated Sofia – Bucureşti Nord
express and the Romanian conductors await departure. Only the leading coach has come through from Sofia, the
second vehicle is a Turkish Railways couchette from Istanbul (or as near to that city as the passenger railway gets
nowadays!), which was attached at Gorna Oryakhovitsa. The remainder of the train from the south has already
been attached to the returning Bucureşti – Sofia working, which had recently departed. A border official had just
completed a search of the roof space of the coaches. He was assisted in his task by a railway employee with a
carriage key who summed up the operation to curious foreigners with the single word, “Pakistanis!”

Echoes of Stalinist grandeur as the Sofia – Bucureşti Nord service rolls off the international bridge over the
Dunărea/Dunav (Danube) on the Romanian side.

Welcome to Romania! The country fails to show its tidiest image to newly arrived travellers at the frontier station
of Giurgiu Nord. Internal services continue to Giurgiu station in the town centre. The international train will take
the indirect route via Videle to reach Bucureşti Nord.

When visited in September 2018, Târgovişte – Ploieşti Vest had one of the sparser passenger services in Romania;
a solitary train pair on 4 days per week, operated by Transferoviar. Latest timetables now show it as a daily service
from December 2018. Viewed from the train, the eastbound working is dispatched from Ion Luca Caragiale
(abbreviated on the station sign). Despite the derisory level of service, the train became well-filled towards Ploieşti
Vest, where the service continues along the chord to the Sud station.

On a soggy Sunday morning the CFM DMU forming the daily Chişinau – Odessa international service approaches
Bender-2 station in the breakaway republic of Transnistria. The relatively new Bender-3, located just outside the
disputed territory and used by terminating internal Moldovan services from Chişinau, lies some 1500 metres to the
north. An attempt to use the latter service on the previous day had been thwarted by it turning out to run SX, a fact
not disclosed by the online CFM timetable! At least the bus alternative allowed a daylight arrival in Bender with
better opportunity to view the operation of the internal Moldovan border. The Odessa service appears successful
with a good load already on board from Chişinau, and a number joining and alighting at Tiraspol, Transnistria’s self-
styled capital. On-board service was provided by a cheerful lady equipped with an electric kettle.

The slower of the two Kyiv – Rakhiv trains, which takes the secondary route through Zhytomyr to reach Novohrad-
Volyns’kyi, makes a rather claggy ascent into the Carpathian Mountains on the long branch line from Deliyatin. Time
had been lost gradually all the way from Kyiv and we were running around 2½ hours late at this point. The silver
lining though, is that this scenic section was traversed in full daylight rather than at daybreak. Being the slow train,
fares were cheap even by Ukranian standards, so the writer and companion elected to travel “Deluxe” class. Verdict:
it isn’t! However, the friendliness of the onboard staff, and a supply of tea over and beyond what was included in
the fare was some consolation.

Afternoon at Rakhiv, with a 2-coach local train making a rousing departure. A recently arrived DMU occupies the
other platform. Behind the trains, the disused line leading into Romania at Valea Vişeului was seen to be intact but
derelict in glimpses caught from a jam-packed minibus on the road towards Solotvino.

Below (three pictures)
Immaculately kept intermediate stations bask in late afternoon sunshine along the mountainous line that wends its
way from Valea Vişeului to Salva in northern Romania. Romanian rail travel can vary from the idyllically charming
to the downright dysfunctional, sometimes in the space of one journey! This route shows the system at its best,
with the 6-hour Odyssey from Sighetul Marmaţiei to Cluj-Napoca passing all too quickly, and (on this occasion at
least) with perfect timekeeping.



Regiotrans operate a few trains per day along a line that wanders generally northeastwards across the
Transylvanian plain from Sfântu Gheorghe before expiring at the unlikely terminus of Breţcu. The writer took a trip
here from Brașov to pass the time while his non-enthusiast companion was occupied in visiting the castle associated
with Count Dracula. A careworn ex-SNCF DMU forming the mid-morning service lays over, the writer having been
the solitary passenger to make it to the bitter end, with only another 3 venturing beyond Târgu Secuiesc. In the
latter town, an unofficial “halt” at the level crossing over the DN11 road (where the train stops before proceeding)
saw more passengers clambering off than had alighted at the rather inconveniently sited station.

Breţcu again, with the return service to Brașov fiercely guarded. Perhaps as a result, only one other passenger was
brave enough to climb aboard for the return trip to Brașov.

Trains of 4 different operators congregate in Brașov station. On the left, a Regiotrans DMU loads for another trip to
Breţcu, in the “secret” platform on the east side of the layout. Confusingly, this does not have its own subway
access, and is gained by crossing the tracks from the next island to the west. Next right is a CFR train recently arrived
from Sfântu Gheorghe. Just visible behind the throng on the next island is the rear of an Alstom DMU of Softrans,
which will work to Craiova via Bucureşti Nord. The rake of orange and black coaches belongs to Astra Trans Carpatic
which, at the time of the visit, operated an overnight service to Arad.

Early Saturday morning at Craiova, and an Alstom DMU awaits departure with the international service to Vidin. In
the background a sister unit sets off for Sibiu on an InterRegio working. This class of unit is rapidly replacing loco
hauled trains on both local and IR services. The other bay platform is occupied by an imminent stopping service to
Bucureşti Nord.

Canines outnumber humans on the platform at Golenti, with the one nearest the camera unfortunately failing to
present its best profile. The Craiova – Vidin service awaits time for its departure across the international bridge into
Bulgaria. Electrification extends only some 500 metres behind the photographer, finishing in recently laid exchange
sidings. Internal services, some still worked by elderly 4-wheel railbuses, branch left shortly before the bridge to
terminate at Calafat.

The prison-like international platform at Vidin is the venue for co-located border controls of Romania and Bulgaria,
based in the building to the left. Just visible through the bars are the domestic platforms, from which a loco hauled
rake of ex-DB coaches, still containing maps of the Rheinland, would convey the writer to Sofia.