Welcome to today's thread - 2025 #CrossBorderRail Finale Day 38 - 24 July - Dobrich - Poveljanovo - Karnobat - Dimitrovgrad, onto night train
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RE 30152
11:47 Poveljanovo - Karnobat 14:14Distance: 130.2km
Average speed: 53km/h24 stops:
Razdelna
Trastikovo
Sindel
Junak
Nova Shipka
Velichkovo
Dalgopol
Borjana
Komunari
Asparuhovo
Struja
Trаnak
Dropla-spirka
Daskotna
Listec
Ljuljakovo
Zavet Sp.
Zavet
Vedrovo
Podvis
Klimash
Lozarevo
Valchin
KarnobatThis train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-finale_1163738#10/42.9403/27.3690
Today is confirming my previous impression: both BDZ
& CFR
are starved of cash and investment, but damn the Bulgarians do a better job keeping the basics running better than the Romanians do!
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Today is confirming my previous impression: both BDZ
& CFR
are starved of cash and investment, but damn the Bulgarians do a better job keeping the basics running better than the Romanians do!
BDZ station masters
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BDZ station masters
My next train takes me to Dimitrovgrad
Which like Dimitrovgrad
AND Dimitrovgrad
is named after Georgi Dimitrov, the first post WWII Bulgarian communist leader
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My next train takes me to Dimitrovgrad
Which like Dimitrovgrad
AND Dimitrovgrad
is named after Georgi Dimitrov, the first post WWII Bulgarian communist leader
In response to a point raised by @vorortanleiter about air conditioning of the ex-DB carriages bought by BDZ
The carriages BDZ purchased from BDZ could accept head end power 1000V ac 16.7Hz and 50Hz, but the rest of BDZ’s fleet is 1500V 50Hz
So - as purchased - these carriages would have had no working aircon, so BDZ must have swapped out the transformers
(Edited: I had what the original standard was wrong)
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In response to a point raised by @vorortanleiter about air conditioning of the ex-DB carriages bought by BDZ
The carriages BDZ purchased from BDZ could accept head end power 1000V ac 16.7Hz and 50Hz, but the rest of BDZ’s fleet is 1500V 50Hz
So - as purchased - these carriages would have had no working aircon, so BDZ must have swapped out the transformers
(Edited: I had what the original standard was wrong)
#CrossBorderRail Finale Train 147 of 167
R 8612
15:36 Karnobat - Dimitrovgrad 18:23
BDZTrain type: Siemens Vectron locomotive, 4 carriages
️ (25kV ac)
:
(no space foreseen but you’d likely make it work)
🦽:️ (no disabled accessible carriage)
🛜:️
️:
️
🧳:(by standards of this region v good! Wide-ish steps, good space)
🧽:(even in a few months since sale DB to BDZ cleanliness slipping)
Interrail:
or
(officially comp res, but at Karnobat they told me just get in!)
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#CrossBorderRail Finale Train 147 of 167
R 8612
15:36 Karnobat - Dimitrovgrad 18:23
BDZTrain type: Siemens Vectron locomotive, 4 carriages
️ (25kV ac)
:
(no space foreseen but you’d likely make it work)
🦽:️ (no disabled accessible carriage)
🛜:️
️:
️
🧳:(by standards of this region v good! Wide-ish steps, good space)
🧽:(even in a few months since sale DB to BDZ cleanliness slipping)
Interrail:
or
(officially comp res, but at Karnobat they told me just get in!)
R 8612
15:36 Karnobat - Dimitrovgrad 18:23Distance: 182.1km
Average speed: 65km/h8 stops:
Straldzha
Zimnica
Jambol
Konjovo
Nova Zagora
Stara Zagora
Merichleri
DimitrovgradThis train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-finale_1163738#10/42.4143/26.1701
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R 8612
15:36 Karnobat - Dimitrovgrad 18:23Distance: 182.1km
Average speed: 65km/h8 stops:
Straldzha
Zimnica
Jambol
Konjovo
Nova Zagora
Stara Zagora
Merichleri
DimitrovgradThis train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-finale_1163738#10/42.4143/26.1701
Third time Dimitrovgrad on #CrossBorderRail
2x
1x
0x(obviously)
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Third time Dimitrovgrad on #CrossBorderRail
2x
1x
0x(obviously)
Today has been super smooth crossing eastern Bulgaria
So many lines here improved in the past decade, impressive to see
Now four hours here in Dimitrovgrad before my night train
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Today has been super smooth crossing eastern Bulgaria
So many lines here improved in the past decade, impressive to see
Now four hours here in Dimitrovgrad before my night train
A question about the hair of Bulgarian men
Why are shaved heads or super short hair so very popular here?
At this restaurant there’s a group of 7 men (pictured, badly). 2 heads are shaved. 3 have a couple of mm. 2 have 1cm max.
It’s similar in the rest of the restaurant.
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A question about the hair of Bulgarian men
Why are shaved heads or super short hair so very popular here?
At this restaurant there’s a group of 7 men (pictured, badly). 2 heads are shaved. 3 have a couple of mm. 2 have 1cm max.
It’s similar in the rest of the restaurant.
This is the most weird sleeper compartment
It’s nice and roomy. There’s even a fridge. But this inefficient design makes the capacity super low
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This is the most weird sleeper compartment
It’s nice and roomy. There’s even a fridge. But this inefficient design makes the capacity super low
#CrossBorderRail Finale Train 148 of 167
INT 493
23:03 Dimitrovgrad - İstanbul(Halkalı Garı) 06:20
CFR, BDZ, TCDDTrain type: Škoda 44, later Hyundai Rotem, TÜLOMSAŞ E68000, 4 carriages (1 further carriage to Svilengrad)
️ (25kV ac)
:
️
🦽:️
🛜:(here in BG there’s none, maybe after the border?)
️:
(I assume the attendant sells something? Oh and I have my own fridge)
🧳:
🧽:(spotless)
Interrail:
(needs compulsory reservation, costs €35 for a single compartment - fair price)
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#CrossBorderRail Finale Train 148 of 167
INT 493
23:03 Dimitrovgrad - İstanbul(Halkalı Garı) 06:20
CFR, BDZ, TCDDTrain type: Škoda 44, later Hyundai Rotem, TÜLOMSAŞ E68000, 4 carriages (1 further carriage to Svilengrad)
️ (25kV ac)
:
️
🦽:️
🛜:(here in BG there’s none, maybe after the border?)
️:
(I assume the attendant sells something? Oh and I have my own fridge)
🧳:
🧽:(spotless)
Interrail:
(needs compulsory reservation, costs €35 for a single compartment - fair price)
INT 493
23:03 Dimitrovgrad - İstanbul(Halkalı Garı) 06:20Distance: 359.7km
Average speed: 49km/h5 stops:
Svilengrad
Kapıkule
Edi̇rne
Çerkezköy
İstanbul(Halkalı Garı)This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-finale_1163738#9/41.5394/27.1788
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INT 493
23:03 Dimitrovgrad - İstanbul(Halkalı Garı) 06:20Distance: 359.7km
Average speed: 49km/h5 stops:
Svilengrad
Kapıkule
Edi̇rne
Çerkezköy
İstanbul(Halkalı Garı)This train, mapped: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/crossborderrail-2025-finale_1163738#9/41.5394/27.1788
Also what’s with the timetable of this?
When I booked it the arrival time was scheduled to be 06:20. Interrail reckons it’s 09:56!
And BDZ reckons it stops in more places in Bulgaria
I’ll get there sometime!
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Also what’s with the timetable of this?
When I booked it the arrival time was scheduled to be 06:20. Interrail reckons it’s 09:56!
And BDZ reckons it stops in more places in Bulgaria
I’ll get there sometime!
The bed is 1m 73 long. Errr… I’m 1m 83, not exactly tall but I don’t fit
Why did they put the ladder storage there instead of adding 4cm more bed?
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The bed is 1m 73 long. Errr… I’m 1m 83, not exactly tall but I don’t fit
Why did they put the ladder storage there instead of adding 4cm more bed?
The design flaws here
The air con control has a red light that blinks when the unit goes on and off - solved that with a plaster
The door doesn’t close tight so there’s a gap where light comes through
And there’s a sun blind and a curtain but neither are blackout, so you get flashes of light from every station
Oh and there’s no reading lamp - get out of bed to the switch above the door
Who designed this? 🤨
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The design flaws here
The air con control has a red light that blinks when the unit goes on and off - solved that with a plaster
The door doesn’t close tight so there’s a gap where light comes through
And there’s a sun blind and a curtain but neither are blackout, so you get flashes of light from every station
Oh and there’s no reading lamp - get out of bed to the switch above the door
Who designed this? 🤨
Oh and while the carriage is generally quiet… you get track noise through the sink drain!
It’s so perplexing. The basic engineering of the carriage is good. But whoever kitted out the interior has never thought about night train design.
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Oh and while the carriage is generally quiet… you get track noise through the sink drain!
It’s so perplexing. The basic engineering of the carriage is good. But whoever kitted out the interior has never thought about night train design.
It’s these moments where the railway industry braying for more money as the recipe to put things right feels so… well, so off
Turkish railways invested quite some money in these carriages. That these compartments are so spacious means running costs will also be high
But no one did any *thinking*, and the end product is nowhere near as good as it could have been
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It’s these moments where the railway industry braying for more money as the recipe to put things right feels so… well, so off
Turkish railways invested quite some money in these carriages. That these compartments are so spacious means running costs will also be high
But no one did any *thinking*, and the end product is nowhere near as good as it could have been
And this passport control (and bag check - we have to take everything off!) - is a joke. We’re all off 10 minutes now and the passport controller didn’t even turn up yet
The platform isn’t even properly secure either
No process design whatsoever for this. Total idiocy
Crossing in and out of Ukraine *that’s in a war* was more thoughtful than this
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And this passport control (and bag check - we have to take everything off!) - is a joke. We’re all off 10 minutes now and the passport controller didn’t even turn up yet
The platform isn’t even properly secure either
No process design whatsoever for this. Total idiocy
Crossing in and out of Ukraine *that’s in a war* was more thoughtful than this
Also I’m 4th passenger in the whole queue. There are passengers from 5 carriages behind me, queue snaking along the platform
Why not do it carriage by carriage? Then the length of time everyone would be out of the carriages would be reduced
️
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Also I’m 4th passenger in the whole queue. There are passengers from 5 carriages behind me, queue snaking along the platform
Why not do it carriage by carriage? Then the length of time everyone would be out of the carriages would be reduced
️
@jon now I understand why the queue is not moving