 Eastbound train 493/81031 waiting to depart Sofia. | |
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | Inter-city rail |
| Status | Operating |
| Locale | Bulgaria and East Thrace, Turkey |
| Predecessor | Balkan Express |
| First service | 21 February 2017 |
| Current operator(s) | TCDD Taşımacılık, Bulgarian State Railways |
| Route | |
| Termini | Halkalı station, Istanbul Central station, Sofia |
| Stops | 19 |
| Distance travelled | 571.2 km (355 mi) |
| Average journey time | 9 hours, 10 minutes (westbound) 9 hours, 49 minutes (eastbound) |
| Service frequency | Daily |
| Train number(s) | 492/81032 (westbound) 493/81031 (eastbound) |
| On-board services | |
| Sleeping arrangements | Sleeping car |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
The Istanbul-Sofia Express (Turkish: Istanbul-Sofya Ekspresi, Bulgarian: Истанбул-София Експрес, Istanbul-Sofiya Ekspres) is an international passenger train operating daily between Istanbul, Turkey and Sofia, Bulgaria. The train runs 571.2 km (354.9 mi) from Halkalı station in Istanbul, west to Sofia Central Station in Sofia. The first train departed Halkalı station at 22:40 on 21 February 2017, carrying 22 passengers.[1] The Istanbul-Sofia Express is the successor to the Balkan Express, which operated between Istanbul and Belgrade, Serbia until June 2013.[2]
- ^ "İstanbul-Sofya Ekspresi ilk seferine başladı" (in Turkish). 21 February 2017. Retrieved 24 November 2017.
- ^ Uysal, Onur (19 April 2013). "Holiday time for Halkalı". railturkey.org. Retrieved 24 November 2017.