Bosphorus Express
Encyclopedia
The Bosphorus Express, also known as the Trans Balkan Express is an international passenger train running between İstanbul
, Turkey
an Bucharest
, Romania
. It runs together with the Balkans Express
until Dimitrovgrad
, Bulgaria
where the later continues to Belgrade
, Serbia
. The train is jointly operated by three national railways; the Turkish State Railways
, the Bulgarian State Railways
and the Romanian State Railways. The train serves important cities like İstanbul
, Edirne
, Russe and Bucharest
. The Bosphorus Express started service in 1971.
, either TCDD Intercity stock or CFR 59-50 stock, a single coach car, either TCDD or CFR and a CFR sleeping car
. Since the train usses electrified and non-electrified track, locomotives pulling the train also change. From İstanbul the train is pulled by a E43000
electric locomotive until Kapıkule
, where a BDZ
class-07 diesel locomotives becomes the motive power. At Dimitrovgrad, Bulgaria, the BDZ class-07 de-couples and either a BDZ class-43 or a BDZ class-45 electric locomotive couples onto the train. At Russe, the BDZ electric locomotive changes with a Romanian class-65 diesel locomotive which pulls the train to Bucharest.
connected with the Balkans Express
, that will decouple later and head to Belgrade
. The train makes its way through the İstanbul suburbs along the İstanbul-Halkalı Commuter Line
. After Halkalı, the tracks go from double track
to single track
. Its first stop is in Alpullu
then Pehlivanköy
, where the line branches of the rail line to Greece and heads north west to Edirne. After Edirne it arrives a the town of Kapıkule
on the Turkish
- Bulgaria
n border. The electric locomotive disconnects and is replaced with a diesel locomotive. It makes its first stop in Bulgaria in Svilengrad
then continues to Dimitrovgrad, where the Balkans Express disconnects and heads for Belgrade. The Bosphorus Express is once again equipped with an electric locomotive. After the city of Gorna Oryahovitsa
, the train arrives at the city of Ruse on the Danube
river. A diesel locomotive once again takes over, and it crosses the Danube via the Danube Bridge and into the Romania
n town of Giurgiu stopping the Giurgiu Nord Railway Station. The it continues north to Bucharest. After winding its way around the city the train enters Bucharest from the northwest into Gara de Nord
station.
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
an Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
. It runs together with the Balkans Express
Balkans Express
The Balkans Express is an overnight train operating between İstanbul and Belgrade, servicing cities like Edirne, Plovdiv and Sofia. The train connects with the Bosphorus Express at Dimitrovgrad, Bulgaria and continues to İstanbul....
until Dimitrovgrad
Dimitrovgrad
Dimitrovgrad is the name of three towns in Europe:* Dimitrovgrad, Bulgaria* Dimitrovgrad, Russia* Dimitrovgrad, SerbiaAll three were named after Georgi Dimitrov....
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
where the later continues to Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
. The train is jointly operated by three national railways; the Turkish State Railways
Turkish State Railways
The State Railways of the Turkish Republic or TCDD is the government owned, national railway carrier in the Republic of Turkey, headquartered in Ankara...
, the Bulgarian State Railways
Bulgarian State Railways
The Bulgarian State Railways are Bulgaria's state railway company and the largest railway carrier in the country, established as an entity in 1885. The company's headquarters are located in the capital Sofia. Since the 1990s the BDZ has met serious competition from automotive transport...
and the Romanian State Railways. The train serves important cities like İstanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, Edirne
Edirne
Edirne is a city in Eastern Thrace, the northwestern part of Turkey, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Edirne served as the capital city of the Ottoman Empire from 1365 to 1453, before Constantinople became the empire's new capital. At present, Edirne is the capital of the Edirne...
, Russe and Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
. The Bosphorus Express started service in 1971.
Stock
The train is pulled by a variety of locomotives in each country. Today the train consists of 3-4 cars usually mixed from the three railways. There are two CouchettesCouchette car
The couchette car is a railroad car conveying basic non-private sleeping accommodation.The car is divided into a number of compartments accessed from the side corridor of the car, which in daytime are configured with a bench seat along each long side of the compartment...
, either TCDD Intercity stock or CFR 59-50 stock, a single coach car, either TCDD or CFR and a CFR sleeping car
Sleeping car
The sleeping car or sleeper is a railway/railroad passenger car that can accommodate all its passengers in beds of one kind or another, primarily for the purpose of making nighttime travel more restful. The first such cars saw sporadic use on American railroads in the 1830s and could be configured...
. Since the train usses electrified and non-electrified track, locomotives pulling the train also change. From İstanbul the train is pulled by a E43000
TCDD E43000
TCDD E43000 is a series of electric locomotives used by the Turkish State Railways. The batch consisted of 45 units delivered in 1987 and used throughout the electrified parts of the Turkish rail network. The locomotives have a power output of 3,180 kW and are capable of...
electric locomotive until Kapıkule
Kapikule
Kapıkule is the Turkish frontier town in Edirne Province on the border of Turkey and Bulgaria. Its counterpart on the Bulgarian side is Kapitan Andreevo. Together, they are the busiest land border crossing point in the world and the busiest in Europe....
, where a BDZ
Bulgarian State Railways
The Bulgarian State Railways are Bulgaria's state railway company and the largest railway carrier in the country, established as an entity in 1885. The company's headquarters are located in the capital Sofia. Since the 1990s the BDZ has met serious competition from automotive transport...
class-07 diesel locomotives becomes the motive power. At Dimitrovgrad, Bulgaria, the BDZ class-07 de-couples and either a BDZ class-43 or a BDZ class-45 electric locomotive couples onto the train. At Russe, the BDZ electric locomotive changes with a Romanian class-65 diesel locomotive which pulls the train to Bucharest.
Route
The train starts at İstanbul's Sirkeci TerminalSirkeci Terminal
Istanbul Sirkeci Terminal, also known as İstanbul Terminal, is a terminus main station of the Turkish State Railways in Sirkeci, on the European part of Istanbul, Turkey...
connected with the Balkans Express
Balkans Express
The Balkans Express is an overnight train operating between İstanbul and Belgrade, servicing cities like Edirne, Plovdiv and Sofia. The train connects with the Bosphorus Express at Dimitrovgrad, Bulgaria and continues to İstanbul....
, that will decouple later and head to Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
. The train makes its way through the İstanbul suburbs along the İstanbul-Halkalı Commuter Line
İstanbul-Halkalı Commuter Line
The İstanbul-Halkalı Line, also referred to as the İstanbul Commuter Railway, locally referred to as B1 . Carrying an average of 22,200 passengers daily, it is the second busiest commuter railway in Turkey, after the Haydarpaşa Commuter Railway....
. After Halkalı, the tracks go from double track
Double track
A double track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.- Overview :...
to single track
Single track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
. Its first stop is in Alpullu
Alpullu
-Geography:Alpullu is a town in Babaeski district of Kırklareli Province. At the distance to Babaeski is and the distance to Kırklareli is . Alpullu is at the junction of the main railroad connecting İstanbul to Edirne and the tail line to Kırklareli...
then Pehlivanköy
Pehlivanköy
Pehlivanköy is a town and district of Kırklareli Province in the Marmara region of Turkey. The mayor is Hüseyin Açıkel . The population is 2,007 as of 2010.-External links:* *...
, where the line branches of the rail line to Greece and heads north west to Edirne. After Edirne it arrives a the town of Kapıkule
Kapikule
Kapıkule is the Turkish frontier town in Edirne Province on the border of Turkey and Bulgaria. Its counterpart on the Bulgarian side is Kapitan Andreevo. Together, they are the busiest land border crossing point in the world and the busiest in Europe....
on the Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
- Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n border. The electric locomotive disconnects and is replaced with a diesel locomotive. It makes its first stop in Bulgaria in Svilengrad
Svilengrad
Svilengrad is a town in Haskovo Province, South-central Bulgaria, situated at the border of Turkey and Greece. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Svilengrad Municipality. As of December 2009, the town has a population of 18,132 inhabitants....
then continues to Dimitrovgrad, where the Balkans Express disconnects and heads for Belgrade. The Bosphorus Express is once again equipped with an electric locomotive. After the city of Gorna Oryahovitsa
Gorna Oryahovitsa
Gorna Oryahovitsa is a town in northern Bulgaria, situated in Veliko Tarnovo Province, not far from the city of Veliko Tarnovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous Gorna Oryahovitsa Municipality...
, the train arrives at the city of Ruse on the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
river. A diesel locomotive once again takes over, and it crosses the Danube via the Danube Bridge and into the Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n town of Giurgiu stopping the Giurgiu Nord Railway Station. The it continues north to Bucharest. After winding its way around the city the train enters Bucharest from the northwest into Gara de Nord
Gara de Nord
București Gara de Nord is the main railway station in Bucharest and the largest railway station in Romania...
station.