ORGANIZATION AND OPERATIONS OF THE BULGARIAN RAILROAD SYSTEM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A006500370007-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 13, 2008
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: April 13, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2008/05/13 :CIA-RDP80-00810A006500370007-6
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
I'las ^:atertal contains lntormatlon atTecting the National Defense of the TJnlted States w(thin the meaning of the Espionage l:,aws, 'Ittle
18. li.~.C. Secs. i93 and ?99, the transmission or revelation of which Sn any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
UA'fE CAF INFO.
PLACE ACC~UIRED
DATE ACQUIRED
Bulgaria
Bulgarian Railroad System
REPORT
Organi.zatian and Operations of the DATE DISTR.
NO. OF PAGES
REFERENCES
This is UNEVALUATED Information
Apri.1 :1.955
SOURCE EVALUATIONS ARE DEFINITIVE. APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
_ .._.. _~T~ __.._ ~.._~.
AIR X fBI~I- AEC.__1__..___...1_~-_j_.3.L -_.__ L_-_._
{Note: Washington distribution indicated by "X"; Field distribution by "# '.)
The entire system of land9 seas and air communications in Bulgaria is
controlled by the Ministry of Transpartationy which comprises the following
administrationsa
ae Rail transportation (Glavno Upravleni.e Na Bulgarskite Durzhavni
Zhelezoputno);
b. Road transportation (Upravlenie Na Avtomobilen Transport);
c. Sea transportation (Upravlenie Na Voden Transport);
de Construction of transportation facilities (Upravlenie Na Stroitelstvoto
Po T ransporta) ;
ee Political (Politichesko Upravlenie);
fe Legal (Transporten Sud I Prokuratura); and
g. Construction planning,
2. The head Railroad Administration (GUY) itself is divided into administra-
tions and departments as followso
ae Central administratian, with departments for pl.anxu.ng~ finance? account-~
ing, technical equipment9 financial planning and statisticsy and traffic
safety, There are two special units in the central administrationo a
special section and Tlepar~tment 22 for military training;
b. Utilization administrations with departments for traffic, transportation
planning, loading and unloacling, commercial affairs9 and railroad. lunch
facilities;
~~, Mobile equipment admire str?ation, with departments for locomotives, car-sy
repair shops, and rail car factories9
d. Tracks and technical equipment administration9 with departments for
maintenance, electrical equipment for traffic safetys construction, and
electrification9
STATE_ X ARMY X ~ NAVY
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4.
S.
e. Supply administration; and
f. Manpower administration, with departments for cadres, wages, admin-
istration, and medical treatment.
The central GUY administration is located in Sofia. Railroad operations
are handled by three regional headquarters, each of which has a sub-
headquarters:
a. Sofia, with sub-headquarters at Mezdra (N1~3-0~, E23-(.~3);
b. Plovdiv, with sub-headquarters at Stara Zagora; and
c. Gorna Oryakhovitsa, with sub-headquarters at Stalin (Varna).
Each of these regional bodies has its operational, technical, and administrative
units, which are organized in two principal divisions utilization (Sektor
Eksploatatsiya) and locomotives (Sektor Lokomotiven).
Railroad tracks in Bulgaria have a load capacity of up to 30 tons. The
gauges are the standard 1,x,35 n?n., 760 mm., and 600 mm.
Maintenance of the tracks is the responsibility of the Kantonerski Uchastak
(railroad maintenance man), each of whom is in charge of approximately three
kilometers of track. They are responsible to a higher official (Pilior;
probably a foreman), who is in charge of approximately !~0 to 50 kilometers of
track. The Piliors are, in turn, responsible to the section manager, who is
in charge of approximately 180 to 250 kilometers of track. There are 21 sec-
tions in Bulgaria: seven in the Sofia division, six in the Plovdiv division,
and eight in the Gorna Oryakhovitsa division. Each section has workshops
and labor brigades.
Railroad labor brigades and specially-detailed military units keep the tracks
clear of snow during the winter months; however, traffic is sometimes stopped
for hours and even days at the following points:
a. Near the Dve Mogili station (N1~3-35, E25-52) on the Ruse-Gorna Oryak-
hovitsa line;
b. Near the Humata station, which lies between Ruptsi (Nla3-16, E21~--09) and
Telish (N1~3-20, E21~-16), and near the Yasen station (Nl~3-25, E2l~-32 ),
both on the Sofia-Pleven line;
c. Near the Septemvri (formerly Saranova) station (Nlt2-13, E21~-07) on the
Sofia-Plovdiv line; and
d. Near the Voluyak station (N1~2-~.6, E23-114) on the Sofia-Dragoman line.
All locomotives now in use were purchased between 1930 and lyL~l4. The "Josif
Stalin" and "Felix Dzherdzhinski" type locomotives are not used in Bulgaria.
Locomotives are divided into passenger, freight, and switching categories
Diesel engines made by the former Ganz works in Hungary are in use on the
Sofia-Iskur line, the Dobrinishta (N1.41-49, E23-33)-Varvara (N1.~2-09, E21~-08)~-
Septemvri line, and the Dobrinishta Varvara-Pazardzhik line.
25X1
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Most freight cars in use have two axles. They are categorized according
to type as follows;
E closed cars for regular and bulky freight;
D closed cars, with two superimposed compartments, for sheep;
FD closed cars, with five to eight superimposed compartments, for poultry;
FK closed cars for refrigeration;
Y open cars with removable sides, for coal;
YK same as Y and used for timber. This car is smaller than the Y type;
M same as Y and used for long iron bars; flat cars; and
On cars equipped with dump mechanism.
y, Fully adequate platforms for loading and unloading freight are available
only at Sofia, Plovdiv, and Lorna Oryakhovitsa. The Sofia station has 19
tracks, eight for passenger and freight traffic, and 11 for stationary cars.
10. Applications for shipanent of freight are forwarded to the Ministry of Trans-
portation through the authority which controls the factory involved. They
are made on a quarterly basis and include complete details of tonnage, point
of origin, and destination. Shipment cannot take place until the Ministry,
in cooperation with the State Planning Commission, has granted approval. If
a factory does not utilize the space for which it applied and which was
approved, it is fined 1~0 lava per day per open freight car and SO lava per
day per closed freight car. The guilty officials racy also be dismissed and
prosecuted.
Approved For Release 2008/05/13: CIA-RDP80-00810A006500370007-6
 Approved For Release 2008/05/13 :CIA-RDP80-00810A006500370007-6
Approved For Release 2008/05/13 :CIA-RDP80-00810A006500370007-6