Train services between Istanbul, Sofia starting soon

ISTANBUL

The train services between Istanbul and Bulgaria’s capital of Sofia, which were halted on March 11, 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic, will begin on April 25, the Turkish Transportation and Infrastructure Ministry has announced.

“Following talks between the two countries’ railways administrations, the decision has been taken,” the ministry said in a statement on April 20.

The first train from Istanbul will depart on April 25, with the return train departing from Sofia the following day, on April 26.

The time of departure for the Istanbul Sofia Express from Istanbul’s Halkalı station will be 9:40 p.m. “The train will arrive in Sofia at 9:35 a.m. the following day, covering a journey of 11 hours and 55 minutes,” the ministry went on to say.

The trains will depart from Sofia at 6:30 p.m. every day and arrive in Istanbul at 5:34 a.m. the following day.

“Tickets for the Istanbul Sofia Express can be bought from Istanbul’s Sirkeci and Halkalı stations and also from stations in the capital Ankara as well as [the Central Anatolian province of] Eskişehir,” the ministry said.