Pazardzhik – Varvara narrow-gauge railway

Pazardzhik – Varvara
Lyachovo Station (Ляхово), 1928
Route
Route number :	17th
Route length:	16.7 km
Gauge :	760 mm ( Bosnian gauge )
Maximum slope :	15  ‰
Minimum radius :	75 m
Legend (Transition to the Sofia – Plovdiv railway line) 0.0 Pazardzhik Pazardzhik 7.8 Lyachowo Ляхово 14.6 Wetren Dol Ветрен дол from Septemwri 16.7 Varvara Варвара 281 m to Dobrinishte

The narrow-gauge railway Pazardzhik – Varvara was a 16.7 km long narrow-gauge railway with a track width of 760 mm from Pazardzhik on the railway line Sofia - Plovdiv to Varvara in Bulgaria . The line was opened in 1928 as the eastern part of the Rhodope Railway, used until 2002 and dismantled since 2004.

history

The narrow-gauge railway line No. 17 of the Bulgarian railway network from Pazardzhik to Varvara was built at the urging of the population. The length of the railway line is 16.703 km and it cost BGN 18 million , of which BGN 11 million was allocated by the state and the rest collected by the population. The largest structures along the route were an iron bridge with a span of 30 m over the Tschepinska river, an arch bridge with a span of 15 m and an underpass for a road with a span of 6 m.

When the Rhodope Railway was built, Andrei Lyaptschew's government took into account the concerns of the residents of Pazardzhik Oblast that the city of Pazardzhik would be isolated, impoverished and abandoned because all passengers and cargo would take the new route from Varvara via Pamporovo to Septemvri. The government ordered the construction of a line from Pazardzhik to Varvara in 1925, the entire network being called the Rhodope Railway. The surveying work began in the spring of 1924 and construction began in 1925. The route was opened on October 27, 1928 for the transport of people, luggage, parcels and freight.

Pazardzhik station, 1928		Varvara station, 1928

On October 26, 1928, Minister Raschko Madscharow and guests arrived in September in a special train. On the morning of October 27, 1928, a special train departed for Varvara, arriving at 9:30 a.m. Almost the entire population of Varvara and the surrounding villages was present. The mayor and the station master gave speeches, followed by a prayer and blessing service. Finally, Majarov gave a speech in which he emphasized the great economic and economic importance of the new line. After cutting the tricolor, the first train went to Pazardzhik. The Lyachowo (Ляхово) train station was also blessed with a brief address by Bishop Chariton. The train arrived at the Pazardzhik station around 12:00 p.m. There, Majarov gave a long speech in which he explained the conditions under which construction of the line had started, how it was carried out and what resources he needed. The overall economic importance of the Pazardzhik Oblast was emphasized. Lunch followed, followed by speeches by the Deputy Mayor of Pazardzhik, Krivoshev, Majarov, the former Minister of Railways, Post and Telegraph, Kimon Georgiev, the former Minister of Public Buildings, Roads and Communications, Slavyko Vasilev, and Bishop Khariton.

Route

View towards the village of Vetren Dol

Bridge over the Chepinska River

Stone arch bridge

The line began at the Pazardzhik station, which served three narrow-gauge railways. She crossed the areas of Glawinitsa (Главиница) and Kapitan Dimitriewo (Капитан Димитриево). For 4 km it led in a south-westerly direction and then turned west at Lyachowo to the Lyachowo train station. It crossed the Pazardzhik – Lyachowo expressway, crossed the Patalenitsa (Паталеница) area and, after crossing the Pazardzhik - Wetren Dol expressway, reached the Wetren Dol (Ветрен дол) stop. It crosses an iron bridge from the right on the left bank of the Chepinska River. At Varvara station, which had eight tracks, there was a connection to the Septemwri – Dobrinishte line . The greatest incline along this section was 15 ‰ and the smallest radius 75 m.

business

In the last few years before the closure, the Septemwri – Varvara – Pazardzhik line ran two trains in each direction - one in the morning and one in the evening. Previously there were also trains from Pazardzhik to Velingrad and Dobrinishte . Freight traffic on the Pazardzhik – Varvara line played an important role in the heyday of rail freight traffic.

Since 1999 the Bulgarian State Railways has implemented a program to shut down the little-used railway lines, including the Pazardzhik – Varvara narrow-gauge railway. Due to the losses of BGN 59,000 per year and the low number of passengers in the last years of its existence - 18 people per day - the railway was in a deplorable condition and was shut down on October 1, 2002. Dismantling began on January 1, 2004.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Линията Татар-Пазарджик - Варвара. в. "Македония". October 29, 1928. p. 1.
2. ↑ ^{a b} Деянов, Димитър. Железопътната мрежа в България 1866 - 1975. София, изд. "Булхаус" Стара Загора, 2005. ISBN 954-9364-05-4 . Pp. 138-139.
3. ↑ Заповед № 8425 от 25 октомври 1928 г. Обн. ДВ. бр. 172 от 29 октомври 1928 г.
4. ↑ ЦДА, Ф. 157К, оп. 1, а.е. 846. p. 3
5. ↑ Колектив. Теснопътната железопътна линия Чепино-Якоруда-Белица. По случай откриването ѝ в експлоатация 30 юли 1939 г. Министерство на обществените сгради, пътищата и благоустройството. Главна дирекция на строежите. Отдел изучаване и постройки нови железопътни линии, 1939. pp. 37-38.
6. ↑ БДЖ закрива губещи линии. в. "Капитал". September 4, 1999. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
7. ↑ Николов, Христо: Посрещаме Нова година със 140 влака по-малко. в. “Сега”, October 1, 2002. Accessed September 29, 2014.
8. ↑ Постановление № 324 от 23 декември 2003 Г. за промяна на категорията на железопътни линии и участъци от железопътни линии и категорията на железопътни линии и участъци от железопътни линии и категорията. No. 2 of January 9, 2004. Retrieved September 29, 2014.

Coordinates: 42 ° 9 '19.6 "  N , 24 ° 13' 58.8"  E