Bosphorus Express

The Bosphorus Express (Bulgarian: Босфор експрес), also known as the Trans Balkan Express (Turkish: Bosfor Ekspresi), is an international passenger train running between Istanbul, Turkey and Bucharest, Romania. It runs together with the Istanbul-Sofia Express as far as Dimitrovgrad upon entering Bulgaria, where the latter continues to Sofia. The train is jointly operated by three national railways: the TCDD Taşımacılık (TCDD), the Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ), and the Romanian State Railways (CFR). The train serves several important cities including Istanbul, Edirne, Stara Zagora, and Bucharest.

Bosphorus Express
Bosfor Ekspresi

The Bosphorus Express at Bucharest North station, 16 August 2019. The first car heads towards Sofia, and the 2 couchettes head towards Istanbul.
Overview
Service type	InterCity
Status	Operating
Locale	European Turkey, eastern Bulgaria, southern Romania
Current operator(s)	TCDDT BDZ CFR
Former operator(s)	TCDD (Until 2016)
Route
Termini	Halkalı station, Istanbul Gara de Nord, Bucharest
Stops	8
Average journey time	13 hours, 29 minutes
Service frequency	Daily each way
Train number(s)	81032, 492, 464 (westbound), 81031, 461 (eastbound)
On-board services
Sleeping arrangements	Private sleeping room accommodations and couchette cars
Catering facilities	Dining car
Baggage facilities	Yes
Technical
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	Istanbul to Kapıkule and Dimitrovgrad to Ruse
Track owner(s)	TCDD Istanbul-Kapıkule BDŽ Kapitan Andreevo-Ruse CFR Giurgiu-Bucharest
Route map km/0mi 0/000 Istanbul 27/017 Halkalı 129/080 Çerkezköy 229/142 Alpullu 296/184 Edirne 316/196 Kapıkule Turkey Bulgaria border 336/209 Svilengrad 347/216 Lyubimets 363/226 Harmanli 378/235 Simeonovgrad 401/249 Dimitrovgrad 434/270 Mihajlovo 456/283 Stara Zagora 483/300 Tulovo 491/305 Dabovo 514/319 Krastec 530/329 Plachkovci 538/334 Trajvna 547/340 Tsareva Livada 556/345 Drjanovo 565/351 Sokolovo 573/356 Debelec 579/360 Veliko Tirnova 592/368 Gorna Oryahovitsa 622/386 Polski Trambesh 635/395 Bjala 653/406 Borovo 666/414 Dve Mogili 681/423 Ivanovo 704/437 Russe Bulgaria Romania border 717/446 Giurgiu 780/485 Videle 831/516 Bucharest km/0mi

Stock

The train is pulled by a variety of locomotives in each country. Today the train consists of three or four cars usually supplied by the three railways. There are two couchettes, either TCDD Intercity stock or CFR 40-31/44-31 stock, a single coach, either TCDD or CFR, and a CFR sleeping car. Since the train uses electrified and non-electrified track, locomotives pulling the train also change. From Istanbul, the train is pulled by an E68000 electric locomotive to Kapıkule, where a BDŽ class-07 diesel locomotive becomes the motive power. At Dimitrovgrad, Bulgaria, the BDŽ class-07 de-couples and either a BDŽ class-43 or a BDZ class-45 electric locomotive couples onto the train. At Russe, the BDŽ electric locomotive is exchanged with a Romanian class-65 diesel locomotive, which pulls the train to Bucharest.

Typical configurations

İstanbul–Kapıkule

• TCDD E68000 Locomotive
• TCDD Couchette
• TCDD Couchette

Kapıkule–Dimitrovgrad

• BDŽ Class-07 Locomotive
• TCDD Couchette
• TCDD Couchette

Dimitrovgrad–Gorna Oryahovitsa

• BDŽ Class-43 or BDŽ Class-45 Locomotive
• TCDD Couchette
• BDŽ Coach

Gorna Oryahovitsa–Russe

• BDŽ Class-43 or BDŽ Class-45 Locomotive
• CFR Couchette
• TCDD Couchette
• BDŽ Coach

Russe–Bucharest

• CFR Class-65 Locomotive
• CFR Couchette
• TCDD Couchette

Between Dimitrovgrad and Russe, one or two BDŽ Coaches are added to the train for domestic travel.

Route

The journey starts at Halkali station in the suburb of Marmaray, 27 km (17 mi) from Istanbul's Sirkeci Terminal. After passing through Edirne it arrives at the town of Kapıkule on the Turkish-Bulgarian border. The electric locomotive disconnects and is replaced with a diesel locomotive Passengers need to disembark and cross the rail tracks to clear passport control. 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 Romanian town of Giurgiu, stopping at the Giurgiu North Railway Station. Then it continues north to Bucharest. After circling the city, the train enters from the northwest into Gara de Nord (Bucharest North) station.

Gallery

• 
  The Bosphorus Express at Sirkeci Terminal.
• 
  The Bosphorus Express waiting to depart Bucharest.
• 
  The old destination board on a TCDD couchette car.