Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Peev will present today the first Alstom electric trainset destined for the Bulgarian railway network. The official event is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. at Sofia Central Railway Station, as confirmed by the ministry's press office.

To date, a total of 12 trains have already been delivered to the country, purchased with funding provided through the Recovery and Resilience Plan. The investment for these 12 trainsets amounts to nearly 155 million euros. The signed contract also provides for the delivery of another 23 trains, which are expected to arrive in Bulgaria in stages.

The press office added that alongside the Skoda trains already integrated into the current schedule, putting the Alstom trains into operation is a key step in the ongoing modernization of the Bulgarian railway's rolling stock. It should be recalled that the new Skoda electric multiple units have already begun to be phased into service. The cost of their delivery is 261.4 million euros excluding VAT, with the project also being funded under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

The entire process was initiated a week ago by Minister of Transport and Communications Georgi Peev during an official ceremony held at Sofia Central Railway Station. At that time, he announced his expectations for all 20 new Skoda trains to be fully operational by August 20. Plans call for the Alstom trains to be delivered thereafter, so that by the beginning of September, a total of about 60 new trains will be in service.