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Private company

Bulgarian State Railways

Logo: HectorTroi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons3

State railway company of Bulgaria

The Bulgarian State Railways (Bulgarian: Български държавни железници, romanized: Balgarski darzhavni zheleznitsi, abbreviated as БДЖ, BDZ or BDŽ) are Bulgaria's state railway company and former largest railway carrier in the country, established as an entity in 1888. The company's headquarters are located in the capital Sofia. Since the 1990s, the BDŽ has met serious competition from automotive transport.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

Aug 1, 1888Founded1
  • Industryrail transport1
  • HeadquartersSofia1
  • Websiteholding.bdz.bg/bg
  • Legal formEdnolichno aktsionerno druzhestvo1

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BDZ Baureihe 9452
Photo: Wiki05, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons5

The Bulgarian State Railways (Bulgarian: Български държавни железници, romanized: Balgarski darzhavni zheleznitsi, abbreviated as БДЖ, BDZ or BDŽ) are Bulgaria's state railway company and former largest railway carrier in the country, established as an entity in 1888. The company's headquarters are located in the capital Sofia. Since the 1990s, the BDŽ has met serious competition from automotive transport. Up to 2002 the company also owned/managed the state railway (up to 2,485 miles (3,999 km) total of 1,435 mm (4.708 ft) & 760 mm (2.49 ft) (Septemvri to Dobrinishte only) track gauge railway tracks) infrastructure in the country, when according to EU regulations a new state company, the National Railway Infrastructure Company, was founded and became the owner of the infrastructure.2

Corporate structure

Bulgarian State Railways sits at the top of its group. 3 entities, 1 country on record. Switch between the flow chart and the network, and select any entity to see its details.

  • Bulgarian State Railways Sofia
    • BDZh - Patnicheski prevozi Subsidiary · Sofia, Bulgaria
    • BDZh Tovarni prevozi Subsidiary · Sofia
    • BDŽ class 44 Owned · Bulgaria
    • Septemvri–Dobrinishte railway Owned · Velingrad, Bulgaria
    • Svilengrad railway station Owned · Svilengrad, Bulgaria

Built from subsidiaries, stakes and holdings from Wikidata (CC0); major holders from Schedules 13D and 13G. Each entity in the chart links to its source.

What it owns

What Bulgarian State Railways reports owning in its annual reports to the SEC: buildings, land and equipment, real estate and locations, investments, intangible assets and inventory, at the end of its latest fiscal year and a year before.

Stakes and holdings (Wikidata)

  • BDŽ class 44
  • Septemvri–Dobrinishte railway
  • Svilengrad railway station

Things Wikidata records the company as owning, with the share when stated.1

The story

On 1 January 2002, the new Railway Transport Act entered into force, passed by the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria, according to which the National Company Bulgarian State Railways were split into two separate enterprises – a railway carrier (Bulgarian State Railways EAD) and an infrastructure enterprise (Railway Infrastructure National Company)

The European Commission formally warned Bulgaria in May 2010 for failure to implement the First Railway rules on track access charges.

In October 2010 further restructuring was announced, with BDŽ EAD becoming a holding company, and all rolling stock allocated to passenger & freight subsidiaries.

From Wikipedia’s article on Bulgarian State Railways, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Subsidiaries and ownership

Subsidiaries

Also owns

  • BDŽ class 44
  • Septemvri–Dobrinishte railway
  • Svilengrad railway station

From Wikidata.1

Timeline

  1. Aug 1, 1888Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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