Sofia Metro

The Sofia Metro is the rapid transit network servicing the Bulgarian capital city Sofia. It is the only metro in Bulgaria. It began operation on 28 January 1998., the Sofia Metro consists of four interconnected lines, serving 47 stations, with a total route length of and also being among the top 15 of the most extensive European metro systems, ranking 14th as of 2023. The Metro links the densely populated districts of Lyulin – Mladost and Nadezhda – Lozenets, and serves the Vasil Levski Sofia Airport.

History

Planned since the 1960s, construction of the metro started in the 80s with the demolition of a significant number of buildings. At the beginning of the 90s, construction stopped due to a lack of funds and the complexity of the construction work. Being one of the oldest cities in Europe, Sofia contains many historical layers underneath its central areas. Evidence of antiquity can be clearly seen at the Serdika Station, which exhibits a wealth of unearthed Thracian and Roman ruins. During the construction of the enormous complex of the National Palace of Culture, two stations forming part of the M2 line and their connecting tunnels were built.
The construction of the system began from the route that sees the highest volume of passenger traffic, reaching 38,000 at rush hour.

Lines

Due to an increased population, there are a large number of passengers heading toward the city center during weekday mornings, and away from the city centre in the weekday evenings. The necessity of efficient public transport in the direction of the largest passenger flows, transport, and Sofia's environmental problems precipitated the start of the construction of the Sofia Metro. Following the ratification of a technical and economic report on the metro by the Council of Ministers of Bulgaria, and the subsequently approved General City Plan, the general scheme for the development of the lines should consist of three diameters with extensions in the periphery, with a total length of, 71 metro stations, and a 1.2 million daily passenger capacity at the final stage of implementation.

Security and safety

There are automatic gates installed on the platform due to safety reasons. This is one of the key features in the new metro line from 2020. The gates open automatically when a train approaches and they close 5-10 seconds before the train starts. There are CCTV cameras and sensors which make sure the metro line is clear, so accidents don't happen. There are more than 10,000 cameras in all of the metro stations in Sofia. The metro is guarded by security guards who stop suspicious people or people with illegal or harmful items. Hikvision is the brand that makes the CCTV cameras that are installed in the Sofia metro.

System

(Red)

The first long section of M1 line consisting of five stations linking Slivnitsa Boulevard through Lyulin and K. Velichkov Boulevard was inaugurated on 28 January 1998. Opalchenska station entered into service on 17 September 1999 and Serdika station situated on St Nedelya Square followed on 31 October 2000, extending the total system length to. The operational section of the line was further extended with a long section, reaching Obelya housing estate in April 2003.
The extension of M1 line continued in 2005 with the start of the construction of of tunnels and three stations linking St Nedelya Square and the Interped World Trade Center in Izgrev. 2006 saw the start of the construction of another section of the same line linking Izgrev and Mladost I housing estate. The completion of the first three stations was projected for the autumn of 2007, however as a result of various delays it was the second section from the first line that first entered into service on 8 May 2009, operating for a brief period of time separately from the north-west portion of the line. The remaining section between Serdika and Vasil Levski stadium station finally entered into service on 7 September 2009 establishing an uninterrupted link between Obelya and Mladost 1 stations.
The construction of the section from Mladost I to Business Park Sofia station began on 25 April 2013, and was completed on 8 May 2015. It cost BGN 85,767,683, VAT exclusive, and serves the majority of the second most densely populated area in Sofia. Part of the sections of "Sofia Airport" - "Iskarsko Shose" and, Ovcha kupel" -, Krasno selo" are not underground.
Struma and Tsaritsa Yoanna stations are a planned extension of M1 line, west of Lyulin station. Their construction will start in 2027-2028, and when completed, M1 split from the M4 after Lyulin station. M4 will continue to serve Slivnitsa and Pancho Vladigerov stations.

Station	Image	In service since	Exits	Intermodality	Location
Dobrinova skala		planned			near Lyulin 3 housing estate, on Sofia Ring Road
Tsaritsa Yoanna		planned			near Lyulin 2 housing estate
Slivnitsa		28 January 1998	4	first station of the section, shared with M4	On the intersection of Slivnitsa Blvd and Pancho Vladigerov Blvd
Lyulin		28 January 1998	4		On Tsaritsa Yoanna Blvd in Lyulin
Zapaden Park		28 January 1998	8		On the intersection of Tsaritsa Yoanna Blvd and Dr. Petar Dertliev Blvd
Vardar		28 January 1998	6		On the intersection of Tsaritsa Yoanna Blvd and Vardar Blvd
Konstantin Velichkov		28 January 1998	3		On the intersection of Todor Aleksandrov Blvd and Konstantin Velichkov Blvd
Opalchenska		17 September 1999	6		On the intersection of Todor Aleksandrov Blvd and Opalchenska St
Serdica		31 October 2000	12		On the Intersection of Todor Aleksandrov Blvd and Knyaginya Maria Luisa Blvd
Sofia University Sveti Kliment Ohridski		7 September 2009	13		On Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd in front of Sofia University
Vasil Levski Stadium		8 May 2009	2		In the north-eastern tip of Borisova gradina park, near the Vasil Levski National Stadium
Frédéric Joliot-Curie		8 May 2009	2	Yug Bus Station	On Dragan Tsankov Blvd in Iztok
G.M.Dimitrov		8 May 2009	4		On the intersection of doctor Georgi Mihov Dimitrov Blvd and Dragan Tsankov Blvd
Musagenitsa		8 May 2009	1		On the western end of the Prof. Marko Semov Blvd bridge
Mladost I		8 May 2009	5	last station of the section, shared with M4	On the intersection of Jerusalem St and Andrey Sakharov Blvd
Aleksandar Malinov		8 May 2015	6		On the intersection of Aleksandrov Malinov Blvd and Andrey Lyapchev Blvd in Mladost II and Mladost III
Akad. Aleksandar Teodorov-Balan		8 May 2015	6		On the intersection of Aleksandrov Malinov Blvd and Dr. Atanas Moskov str. in Mladost II and Mladost III
Business Park		8 May 2015	4	Park and ride facility	On Aleksandar Malinov Blvd, adjacent to Business Park Sofia in Mladost IV

M2 and M4 lines (Blue/Yellow)

The second and fourth lines of the Sofia Metro links the districts of Obelya, Nadezhda, the city centre and Lozenets to the south of the city. Half of the construction cost was covered by the European Union, with the remaining part funded by the state and city budgets. Construction of the section between Nadezhda interchange and Lozenets district via Central railway station and the National Palace of Culture started on 14 December 2008. Work on the section between Obelya residential District and Nadezhda started in February 2010. Both sections of the line entered into service on 31 August 2012.
NDK and European Union stations and their connecting tunnels were partly completed during the construction of the National Palace of Culture and the redevelopment of the surrounding area in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
The construction of Mladost 3 and Inter Expo Center – Tsarigradsko shose stations began on 15 February 2009 and was completed on 25 April 2012. The further extension to Sofia Airport comprising two underground and two overground stations and a length of began in 2013, and was completed on 2 April 2015 at the cost of BGN 136,757,630, VAT exclusive. This extension was briefly operated as a branch of M1 line, but was soon transferred to M2 line, moving that line's terminus from Obelya to Sofia Airport.
On 20 July 2016, the line was extended southward with and one station, Vitosha, located at Hladilnika neighbourhood. The construction took 2 years.
Provisions have been made for the construction of future branch to Iliyantsi, starting from the existing junction located between Knyaginya Maria Luiza and Han Kubrat stations.
On 26 August 2020, the M2 line was split into two portions: the M2, running from Vitosha station to Obelya station, and the M4, running from Obelya to Sofia Airport. The trains continue to run the length of both lines but on maps and other metro signage the M4 line is gradually being introduced. The split was in preparation to the construction of the Pancho Vladigerov station, which will physically separate the lines and will allow them to have independent timetables. On 19 July 2025, M4 was cut to Slivnitsa, while M2 was cut to Obelya, due to the construction of the new Pancho Vladigerov station, which will open sometime in 2026.