Bulgaria calls talks over twin closures
BULGARIA: Serbia plans to close the Niš–Dimitrovgrad line for around 200 days from September 2026, and Romania foresees a full interruption of Giurgiu Nord–Ruse from April to December 2027. The two sections carry the rail freight route between Central Europe and Turkey.
Transport minister Georgi Peev convened an online meeting on 28 August with his Romanian and Serbian counterparts. The Bulgarian ministry warns that restricting both routes at the same time will severely affect freight flows, and Bulgarian operators have already raised concerns.
The Bulgarian minister proposed pre-allocated slots for freight trains instead of a full interruption.
Full story: Bulgaria calls talks over twin rail closures towards Turkey
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One delay. No way round.
The main rail route between Central Europe and Turkey closes for around 200 days from September 2026, and the main alternative follows with a nine-month interruption from April 2027.
The three countries that own the tracks have not agreed on what freight traffic should do in the meantime.
The warning concerns two national projects, decided separately, on either side of the Bulgarian border.
Full story: One delay, and rail freight to Turkey has a problem
Copenhagen metro changes hands after 25 years
DENMARK: Metro owner Metroselskabet has chosen RATP Dev and ComfortDelGro to run Copenhagen’s four automated lines from September 2027 on a 12-year contract worth DKK 17bn (EUR 2.3bn).
The incumbent Metro Service, owned by Milan’s municipal transport operator ATM, bid and lost. Seven companies applied for prequalification and three were invited to bid.
The owner expects to sign the contract in September once the statutory standstill period has expired. Metro Service’s current contract runs to 28 September 2027.
Full story: Milan operator loses Copenhagen metro after 25 years
German wagonload aid rises now, cut in 2027
GERMANY: The federal transport and finance ministries have raised this year’s funding line for single wagonload traffic by up to EUR 84m, lifting the total available in 2026 to up to EUR 384m.
The money comes from budget funds appropriated in earlier years and never spent. The scheme is open to freight operators on the federally owned and non-federally owned networks alike.
Single wagonload traffic accounts for around 18% of German rail freight, and the ministry puts the number of served freight points at more than 2,000.
Full story: Germany raises wagonload support with unused funds
SBB delays 40-train high-speed tender to the turn of the year
SWITZERLAND: The tender for up to 40 multi-system high-speed trains for international services is now planned for the end of 2026 or the start of 2027.
SBB is clarifying the financing first and is in dialogue with manufacturers and leasing companies. When the operator last set out the schedule, four pre-qualified leasing companies were to submit offers in the second quarter of 2026.
Velvet licensed to book paths for 2028 SNCF challenge
FRANCE: Velvet has its railway undertaking licence and can now request paths from SNCF Réseau for services from Paris to the west in 2028.
The independent operator still needs a single safety certificate before it can run a train, and it has not said when it will apply.
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