Pavlikeni protests new train timetable as six fast services are set to skip the station

Residents of Pavlikeni protested at the railway station on 21 October against forthcoming changes to the BDZ train timetable. Under the proposal, six new fast and express services on the Sofia–Varna and Sofia–Burgas routes would pass through the town without stopping. The new timetable is due to take effect on 13 December.

Protesters are calling on the national rail operator to reconsider. According to local media and Bulgarian National Radio, more than 1,600 signatures have been collected in support of the request. Residents say the connections to major cities serve workers as well as school and university students, while the station also serves settlements in neighboring municipalities.

Pavlikeni Municipality supports the request. In its response to the local administration, BDZ explained that the national timetable takes into account passenger numbers, the role of each station, interchange connections and overall journey times. The operator says other regular services will continue to stop at Pavlikeni under the proposed 2026/2027 timetable.

Protest organizers say they will continue pressing for changes before the new timetable comes into force. No decision to reinstate the disputed stops has been announced so far.

Sources: Bulgarian National Radio, 21 October; RegNews, 21 October.

Illustrative photo: Anton Atanasov / Unsplash. The image was not taken at the Pavlikeni protest and does not depict the reported event or location.