Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ) received the last two new Smartron locomotives in fulfillment of the contract with DZZD “Siemens Tron” for delivery of a total of 15 of them. .
The newest two Smartron locomotives will bear the names of the Bulgarian rulers Tsar Constantine the Quiet Assen and Tsar Boris III. It is a well-known fact that Tsar Boris III was an extremely great lover of the railway, a supporter of its development in Bulgaria and a qualified driver of a steam locomotive. In this regard, the commissioning of the new two locomotives took place at an official ceremony at the locomotive depot in Poduyane in the presence of the specially invited by BDZ heir of the royal family His Majesty Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. The locomotive depot is the place that Tsar Boris III often visited to monitor the process of work on the railway.
H.М. Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha fondly remembered his childhood, when his father put him in the steam engines he drove and, as a sign of respect for the work of the railway workers, presented the BDZ management with a unique portrait of Tsar Boris III in a railway uniform.
The presentation of the new locomotives was also attended by representatives of the management team of BDZ, the Deputy Mayor for Transport and Urban Mobility in Sofia Municipality and the Bishop of Belogradchik and Vicar Bishop of Sofia Metropolitan Polycarp, who consecrated the accident-free travel.
More information about the history of the ruler to whom the locomotive is named can be accessed by anyone with a tablet or smartphone. All BDZ Smartron locomotives have a specific QR code, during the scanning of which information about the history of the ruler appears via a mobile device. Another interesting detail is that on the forehead of each Smartron is depicted a letter from the Glagolitic alphabet, which is a kind of way to promote and preserve Bulgarian values and rich history.
Through the delivery of new locomotives and the implementation of the repair program, BDZ already has the necessary resources for the implementation of the Train Timetable, after the system shortage of locomotives has been overcome. Thus, a significant improvement of the service is expected, such as travel time and reduction of the accumulated delays due to a shortage of traction rolling stock and the occurrence of frequent accidents.
