EU Business News Q1 2019

8 EU BUSINESS NEWS / Q1 2019 , Connecting People to Places Metropoliten JSC is owned by SofiaMunicipality and serves rapid rail transport – the metro in Sofia, capital of Bulgaria. Following their success as the Best Passenger Transportation Service Provider – Bulgaria in the EU Business Awards 2018, Dafinka Todorova provided us with a detailed insight into the accomplishments Metropoliten JSC has achieved since their inception. The main purpose of the metro in Sofia is to manage and supervise the construction of any new metro stations, and to provide a quick and safe transport of passengers. Construction of the metro is based on a technical and economic report, ratified by the Council of Ministers and more than 10 other Resolutions and Decrees of Council of Ministers and National Assembly of Bulgaria, as well as a number of resolutions of other ministries and Sofia Municipal Council. The company comprises of Central Office, “Investment activity” Directorate and “Operation” Directorate. Over the years, Metropoliten JSC has adopted and implements a Quality Management System with scope of application: operation of the metro in Sofia and investment activities (organization of the studies, design and construction and investor’s control of new metro sections). The system is compliant with the BNS ISO 9001:2015. Until 2009, the metro network in the capital city consisted of 14 metro stations and was 18 km long. However, since 2009, after inclusion in the Operational Programme of Transport with predominant financing from the European Regional Development Fund and the Cohesion Fund of the European Union, local co-financing and loans of Sofia Municipality by the European Investment Bank, there has been a launch in the implementation of the Sofia Metro Extension Project in a few stages. In 2016, the length of the lines reached 40 km with 35 stations. These extensions are as follows: • The First Stage of this large- scale construction covers the section “Nadezhda Overpass – Central Railway Station” – Sv. Nedelia – National Palace of Culture – “Cherni Vrah blvd.”– 6.4 km long with seven metro stations. It was completed in 2012. • In the same year, the firm have completed the second stage of the project, which consists of two lots: Lot 1 – “Obelya RD –Nadezhda RD – Nadezhda Overpass” with a length of 4.2 km and four metro stations, purchase of 12 trains and an extension of the depot in order to serve the rolling stock of the new sections; and Lot 2 – “Mladost I RD – Mladost III RD – Tsarigradsko Shose blvd.” with a length of 2.2 km and two metro stations, as well as the purchase of six trains. • Since the fall of 2012 and the beginning of 2013, the construction of Stage 3 of the project began, comprising of two lots: Lot 1 – “Tsarigradsko Shose blvd. – Druzhba RD – Airport” 5 km long with four metro stations; Lot 2 – “Mladost I RD – Sofia Business Park at Mladost IV RD” 2.7 km long with three metro stations. These sections have been completed in 2015. • The last section, which was put into operation, is an extension of Line 2 with a length of 1.3 km and one metro station – MS Vitosha. Currently under construction are the first two phases of Line 3 with a length of 12 km and 12 stations and should be completed in 2020. By these sections the metro network will reach 52 km and 47 metro stations and the number of carried passengers is expected to reach 500 thousand/ hour. The share of the metro in the city’s public transport system will exceed 40% and the traffic will be reduced by 30%, which will contribute to the reduction of the greenhouse gases by 79 thousand tons per year. Moving forward, in preparation process are also the other two phases of Line 3 with a total length of 9 km and nine metro stations. These projects are planned to be constructed potentially in the period of 2021 - 2026. Company: Metropoliten JSC Telephone: 00359 2921 2001 Website: www.metropolitan.bg Dec18586