Sofia metro: map, description, photo
The Sofia Metro was put into operation on January 28, 1998 and as of August 31, 2012, the Sofia Metro consists of two interconnected lines serving 27 stations, with a route length of 31 km. The metro connects densely populated areas with the city center: Lyulin - Mladost (Line 1 - red) and Nadezhda - Lozenets (Line 2 - blue).
The construction of the metro was planned since 1960, but until the end of the 1990s, the capital of Bulgaria did not experience an urgent need for underground transport. In addition, the start of work on the implementation of large-scale plans was hampered by insufficient funding for the project. Another negative factor in the implementation of plans is the depth at which, according to the project, construction work should take place. Sofia is the oldest city in Europe and contains many historical layers in the central part. The proof is the numerous artifacts found during the construction of the Serdika station. Now you can see an unusual combination of Thracian and Roman ruins and modern architecture..
At the end of the 90s, due to the increase in the population, every day from the periphery to the center and in the opposite direction in Sofia, large passenger flows are formed. The need to solve environmental problems and the problems of using efficient public transport in the city was the beginning of the construction of the subway in Sofia. After the ratification by the Council of Ministers of Bulgaria of the technical and economic report on the metro and the approved General Plan of the city, the General scheme for the development of the lines should consist of three diametrical lines with extensions at the periphery with a total length of 62 km with 63 metro stations and 1.1 million daily passenger traffic in the final stage. implementation of the plan.
During the construction of the huge complex of the National Palace of Culture in 1982, two stations were built, which are part of the then future Line 2 and their connecting tunnels. The construction of the metro system began with the line that was supposed to carry the largest volume of passenger traffic. On January 28, 1998, after 18 years of construction work, the Sofia Metro was finally opened.
Sofia metro opening hours and tickets
The subway in Sofia operates from 5.00 am to 00.30 am. The interval of trains during peak hours is 4-5 minutes, the rest of the time is up to 15 minutes. The fares for metro tickets and other public transport are the same. Metro cards can be bought at vending machines and ticket offices in station lobbies.
