Sofia Central Station

The Sofia Central Railway Station is the main passenger railway station of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. It is the largest railway station in the country. It is l1 km north of the city centre after Lavov most, on Marie Louise Boulevard next to the Central Bus Station Sofia. It was completely renovated in 2016.

Sofia Central Station Централна гара София
Railway station
Central Railway Station in Sofia
General information
Location	102 Knyaginya Maria Luiza Blvd. Sofia, Bulgaria
Coordinates	42°42′44″N 23°19′16″E
Owned by	NRIC
Line(s)	Kalotina Zapad – Svilengrad Granitsa Sofia – Varna Iliyantsi – Varna Feribotna Sofia – Kulata Sofia – Gyueshevo
Platforms	6
Tracks	13
Connections	Ruse, Stara Zagora, Burgas, Vidin, Yambol, Mezdra
Construction
Structure type	At-grade
Platform levels	2
Parking	Yes
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Other information
Station code	SF (СФ)
History
Opened	1 August 1888
Rebuilt	6 September 1974
Electrified	27 April 1963

History

Aerial view of the Main Train Station and the Central Bus Station in Sofia

The original building of the Sofia Railway Station was opened on 1 August 1888 to serve the Tsaribrod-Sofia-Vakarel line. It was the first line of the Bulgarian State Railways entirely built by Bulgarian engineers. It was a one-storey building, 96 m long and 12 m wide. It had a small clock tower looking towards Vitosha on the façade.

The old building was completely demolished on 15 April 1974. A new brutalist Central Railway Station had begun in 1971. It has two underground and three overground storeys and 365 premises. It was built of mainly white marble. It was renovated again in 2016.

Between January and July 2004 the Central Railway Station in Sofia served 2,323,844 passengers. That was 11.8% of all passengers in the country's railway network. An average 10,910 people pass through the station daily. An average of 84 trains arrive and 82 depart. The station has 30 ticket offices and 5 electronic timetable displays.