Metro in Sofia – the heart of urban mobility

Metro in Sofia – the heart of urban mobility

Sofia is the largest and most extensive city in Bulgaria, with a well-developed public transport network. Residents, tourists and even visitors from other cities can rely on buses, trams, trolleybuses and underground transport – metro for their movement in urban conditions. In this article, we will touch on the most efficient and preferred mode of transport in the capital. Namely, the Sofia metro.

Metro – the backbone of urban mobility

The Sofia metro is the fastest, most convenient and environmentally friendly transport. Preferred by most residents, tourists and visitors. It has 4 lines that connect the outer parts with the central ones. The metro provides its users with a number of amenities.

Advantages of the metro

• speed and efficiency – the average travel time from one end of the city to the other is approximately 30-40 minutes. Since the metro is an underground transport, it has the advantage of not being dependent on heavy city traffic, which in turn blocks and slows down other public transport such as buses, trolleybuses and even trams.
• regularity and convenience – trains arrive every 3-8 minutes even during peak hours, this guarantees minimal waiting time. The carriages are air-conditioned, which provides comfort to passengers, especially on hot summer days.
• safety and accessibility – The Sofia metro has security and video surveillance systems. Which makes it the safest means of transport. Most stations are equipped with ramps and elevators for people with disabilities.

Disadvantages of the metro

• limited coverage – Despite the constant development of the metro, it has a significant drawback. The lack of complete coverage means that some peripheral neighborhoods do not have access to the metro and their residents have the inconvenience of using several types of public transport to move to the central parts.
• overcrowding during rush hour – despite the fact that we mentioned above one of the undeniable advantages of the metro – speed and efficiency, during busy hours, the metro can be “overcrowded”, especially at the junction stations such as “Serdika”, “Sofia University”, “National Palace of Culture”, which is the place where travelers change trains to reach their final destination.
• limited night service – the working hours of the Sofia metro are until midnight. This limits the possibilities for movement at night.

History and development of the metro

The construction of the metro began from the busiest first metro diameter, where the largest passenger flows in the city are formed with estimated maximum values ​​​​during rush hour up to 38 thousand passengers.

The first line was opened in 1998.

After the opening of the first line, the Sofia metro began to expand in stages:

1998 – Commissioning of the first 6.5 km with five stations between Slivnitsa and Konstantin Velichkov.

2003–2009 – Extension of Line 1 to Serdika and Mladost.

2012 – Opening of Line 2, connecting Obelya and James Boucher.

2015–2019 – Phased expansion of both lines, including a connection to Sofia Airport and Sofia Business Park.

2020 – Commissioning of Line 3, which uses an automated train control system.

2024 – Opening of Line 4, which connects Obelya with Sofia Airport, expanding the metro coverage.

Today, the Sofia Metro has four lines, covering over 52 km and 47 stations. It serves more than 400,000 passengers daily and plays an important role in reducing traffic and air pollution in the city.

Useful information

Diagram of the operating sections of the Sofia metro

* The attached graphics were developed jointly between “Metropolitan” EAD and the organization “Save Sofia”.

• Number of lines – 4 pcs.
• Total length of the lines – 52 km with 47 metro stations, incl. h.: ​​
• Line M 1 – Slivnitsa – Business Park (Lyulin – Mladost) – 16 stations (13 common with M 4)
• Line M 2 – Obelya – Vitosha (Nadezhda – Lozenets) – 12 stations
• Line M 3 – Hadzhi Dimitar – Gorna Banya (Hadzhi Dimitar – Ovcha Kupel) – 12 stations
• Line M 4 – Obelya – Sofia Airport – 20 stations (13 common with M 1)
• Average distance between stations – 1000 m.
• Carrying capacity – 50 thousand passengers/hour
• Maximum speed of movement – 80 km/h
• Minimum interval of movement – 180 seconds
• Number of passengers transported per day – 340 thousand.

Types of metro travel documents

• Single-trip ticket – price 1.60 BGN. Issued from a ticket machine at the entrances to all metro stations or from a cashier at the entrance to the metro station. The card can be used up to 60 minutes after its issuance.
• Ticket 30 plus – Allows travel with transfers within the first 30 minutes. Its price is 1.60 BGN. It can be loaded into an electronic card (Sofia City Card or Ultralight) or paid with a bath card. Includes combined trips with ground transport and metro. Mandatory validation at each transfer. The last validation within 30 minutes allows completion of the route without a time limit.
• Ticket 60 plus – Allows travel with transfers within the first 60 minutes. Its price is 2.20 BGN. Can be loaded into an electronic card (Sofia City Card or Ultralight). Includes combined trips with ground transport and metro. Mandatory validation at each transfer. The last validation within 60 minutes allows completion of the route without time limit.
• One-day/daily card Its price is 4.00 BGN. Can be loaded into Sofia City Card or Ultralight. Can be combined with a 30 plus or 60 plus ticket.
• 24-hour card – Its price is 6.00 BGN. Loaded into Sofia City Card or Ultralight. Validity starts from the moment of purchase.
• 72-hour card – Its price is 15.00 BGN. Loaded into Sofia City Card or Ultralight. Validity starts from the moment of purchase.

* All subscription cards for the entire city network, issued by the “Center for Urban Mobility” Ltd., are also valid for travel on the metro. The electronic cards for the CGM are validated at the validators located at the metro entrance barriers.

Overnight stays in the center of Sofia with quick access to the metro

The apartments offered by SofiaLuxRentals are located in the ideal center of Sofia, providing quick and easy access to metro stations for their guests. The nearest metro stations “National Palace of Culture“, “Patriarch Evtimii”, “Vasil Levski Stadium“, “Serdika” are located within a 5-10 min. walking distance from the location of the apartments. Thanks to this, the movement of tourists in the city is significantly facilitated. Our strategic locations provide convenience and save time and allow guests to easily reach the main sightseeings, shopping venues and business centers in Sofia.

Conclusion

The Sofia metro is the backbone of urban mobility, offering a fast, convenient and environmentally friendly transport solution. The metro will continue to play a key role in the development of sustainable urban transport in the capital.

Gallery

Metrostation “Serdika”

Metrostation “National palace of culture”

Metrostation “Airport Sofia”

Sources of information used in this article - metropolitan [dot] bg