Sofia Metro

Sofia Metro
Sofia Metro
	Krasno Selo Metro Station, 26 August 2020
Overview
Native name	Софийско метро
Owner	City of Sofia
Locale	Sofia, Bulgaria
Transit type	Rapid transit
Number of lines	4
Number of stations	47; 10 under construction
Daily ridership	450 000
Chief executive	Stoyan Bratoev
Website	www.metropolitan.bg
Operation
Began operation	28 January 1998
Operator(s)	Metropoliten JSC
Number of vehicles	272
Technical
System length	52.0 km (32.3 mi)
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	825 V DC from third rail (M1/M2/M4 lines); 1,500 V DC from overhead catenary (M3 line)
Average speed	40 km/h (25 mph)
Top speed	80 km/h (50 mph)
System map

The Sofia Metro (Bulgarian: Софийски метрополитен, romanized: Sofiyski Metropoliten, also colloquially called Bulgarian: Софийско метро, romanized: Sofiysko Metro) is the rapid transit network servicing the Bulgarian capital city Sofia. It is the only metro in Bulgaria. It began operation on 28 January 1998.^[1] As of 2024^[update], the Sofia Metro consists of four interconnected lines, serving 47 stations, with a total route length of 52.0 kilometres (32.3 mi)^[1]^[5]^[6]^[2] and also being among the top 20 of the most extensive European metro systems, ranking 14th as of 2023. The Metro links the densely populated districts of Lyulin – Mladost (M1 line – Red) and Nadezhda – Lozenets (M2 line – Blue), and serves the Sofia Airport.^[7]^[8]

History[edit]

Planned since the 1960s, construction of the metro started in the 80s with the demolition of a significant number of buildings. At the beginning of the 90s, construction stopped due to a lack of funds and the complexity of the construction work. Being one of the oldest cities in Europe, Sofia contains many historical layers underneath its central areas. Evidence of antiquity can be clearly seen at the Serdika Station, which exhibits a wealth of unearthed Thracian and Roman ruins. During the construction of the enormous complex of the National Palace of Culture, two stations forming part of the M2 line and their connecting tunnels were built.

The construction of the system began from the route that sees the highest volume of passenger traffic, reaching 38,000 at rush hour.^[9]

Lines[edit]

Due to an increased population, there are a large number of passengers heading toward the city center during weekday mornings, and away from the city centre in the weekday evenings. The necessity of efficient public transport in the direction of the largest passenger flows, transport, and Sofia's environmental problems precipitated the start of the construction of the Sofia Metro. Following the ratification of a technical and economic report on the metro by the Council of Ministers of Bulgaria, and the subsequently approved General City Plan, the general scheme for the development of the lines should consist of three diameters with extensions in the periphery, with a total length of 62 kilometres (39 mi), 63 metro stations, and a 1.1 million daily passenger capacity at the final stage of implementation.^[10]

Line	Opened	Current length (km [mi])	Current stations	U/C^[a] length (km [mi])	U/C^[a] stations	Planned length (km [mi])	Planned stations
M1	1998	14.8 (9.2)	16	0 (0.0)	1	17.7 (11.0)	19^{[citation needed]}
M2	2012	11.4 (7.1)	13	0 (0.0)	0	18 (11.2)	18^{[citation needed]}
M3	2020	11.8 (7.3)	12	9.0 (5.6)	9	17.8 (11.1)	18^{[citation needed]}
M4	2015	26.1 (16.2)	20	0 (0.0)	0	26.1 (16.2)	20^{[citation needed]}
Total:		52 (32.3)	47	9.0 (5.6)	10	79.6 (49.5)	75^{[citation needed]}

^ ^a ^b under construction

M1 line (Red)[edit]

M1 line

All stations are wheelchair accessible

Legend

4 To Obelya

Obelya Depot

Suhodolska River

2

SU St. Kliment Ohridski

3

Perlovska River

Vasil Levski Stadium

Joliot-Curie

Novachitsa River

G.M.Dimitrov

Musagenitsa

Darvenishka River

Mladost 1

4 To Sofia Airport

Banishka River

Mladost 4

Station names in italics
are not confirmed.

Detailed track map

1 – 4

to Depot

↓Opened 1998↓

0'

Slivnitsa

2'

Lyulin

4'

Zapaden Park

Suhodolska

National Rail

to Pernik-Kulata/Kyustendil

7'

Vardar

9'

Konstantin Velichkov

↓Opened 1999↓

Vladayska

11'

Opalchenska

↓Opened 2000↓

13'

Serdika

Serdika II

2

↓Opened 2009↓

15'

Sofia University
St. Kliment Ohridski

Orlov Most

3

Perlovska

17'

Vasil Levski Stadium

21'

Joliot-Curie

WTC

Novachitsa

23'

G.M.Dimitrov

24'

Musagenitsa

Darvenishka

26'

Mladost 1

00'

4 to Sofia Airport

00'

↓Opened 2012↓

29'

Mladost 3

31'

Inter Expo Center –
Tsarigradsko shose

↓Opened 2015↓

33'

Druzhba

36'

Iskarsko shose

National Rail

to Ihtiman/Karlovo

38'

Sofiyska Sveta gora

40'

Sofia Airport

Terminal 2

Airport branch end

00'

↓Opened 2015↓

28'

Aleksandar Malinov

30'

Akademik Aleksandar
Teodorov - Balan

Banishka

32'

Business Park Sofia

Mladost branch end

The first 6.5 kilometres (4.0 mi) long section of M1 line consisting of five stations linking Slivnitsa Boulevard through Lyulin and K. Velichkov Boulevard was inaugurated on 28 January 1998. Opalchenska station entered into service on 17 September 1999 and Serdika station situated on St Nedelya Square followed on 31 October 2000, extending the total system length to 8.1 kilometres (5.0 mi). The operational section of the line was further extended with a 1.8 kilometres (1.1 mi) long section, reaching Obelya housing estate in April 2003.

The extension of M1 line continued in 2005 with the start of the construction of 4.8 kilometres (3.0 mi) of tunnels and three stations linking St Nedelya Square and the Interped World Trade Center in Izgrev (station Frédéric Joliot-Curie). 2006 saw the start of the construction of another section of the same line (consisting of 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) of tunnels and three stations) linking Izgrev and Mladost I housing estate. The completion of the first three stations was projected for the autumn of 2007, however as a result of various delays it was the second section from the first line (Vasil Levski stadium – Mladost 1) that first entered into service on 8 May 2009, operating for a brief period of time separately from the north-west portion of the line. The remaining section between Serdika and Vasil Levski stadium station finally entered into service on 7 September 2009^[11] establishing an uninterrupted link between Obelya and Mladost 1 stations.

The construction of the section from Mladost I to Business Park Sofia station (2.62 kilometres (1.63 mi), with three new underground stations) began on 25 April 2013, and was completed on 8 May 2015.^[6]^[12] It cost BGN 85,767,683 (EUR 43,852,320), VAT exclusive, and serves the majority of the second most densely populated area in Sofia.^[13]^[14] Part of the sections of "Sofia Airport" - "Iskarsko Shose" and, Ovcha kupel" -, Krasno selo" are not underground.

Station	In service since	Exits	Intermodality	Location
Tsaritsa Yoanna (Царица Йоанна)	proposed			near Lyulin 3 housing estate, on Sofia Ring Road^[15]
Lyulin II (Люлин II)	proposed			near Lyulin 2 housing estate^[15]
Slivnitsa (Сливница)	28 January 1998	4	first station of the section, shared with M4	On the intersection of Slivnitsa Blvd and Pancho Vladigerov Blvd
Lyulin (Люлин)		4		On Tsaritsa Yoanna Blvd in Lyulin
Zapaden Park (Западен парк)		8		On the intersection of Tsaritsa Yoanna Blvd and Dr. Petar Dertliev Blvd
Vardar (Вардар)		6		On the intersection of Tsaritsa Yoanna Blvd and Vardar Blvd
Konstantin Velichkov (Константин Величков)		3		On the intersection of Todor Aleksandrov Blvd and Konstantin Velichkov Blvd
Opalchenska (Опълченска)	17 September 1999	6		On the intersection of Todor Aleksandrov Blvd and Opalchenska St
Serdica (Сердика)	31 October 2000	12		On the Intersection of Todor Aleksandrov Blvd and Knyaginya Maria Luisa Blvd
Sofia University Sveti Kliment Ohridski (СУ „Св. Климент Охридски“)	7 September 2009	13		On Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd in front of Sofia University
Vasil Levski Stadium (Стадион „Васил Левски“)	8 May 2009	2		In the north-eastern tip of Borisova gradina park, near the Vasil Levski National Stadium
Frédéric Joliot-Curie (Фр. Жолио Кюри)		2	Yug Bus Station	On Dragan Tsankov Blvd in Iztok
G.M.Dimitrov (Г.М.Димитров)		4		On the intersection of doctor Georgi Mihov Dimitrov Blvd and Dragan Tsankov Blvd
Musagenitsa (Мусагеница)		1		On the western end of the Prof. Marko Semov Blvd bridge
Mladost I (Младост I)		5	last station of the section, shared with M4	On the intersection of Jerusalem St and Andrey Sakharov Blvd
Aleksandar Malinov (Александър Малинов)	8 May 2015	6		On the intersection of Aleksandrov Malinov Blvd and Andrey Lyapchev Blvd in Mladost II and Mladost III
Akad. Aleksandar Teodorov-Balan (Акад. Александър Теодоров-Балан)		6		On the intersection of Aleksandrov Malinov Blvd and Dr. Atanas Moskov str. in Mladost II and Mladost III
Business Park (Бизнес Парк)		4	Park and ride facility	On Aleksandar Malinov Blvd, adjacent to Business Park Sofia in Mladost IV