Balkan Express (train)

Last updated
Balkan Express
07-106, Balkan Express, Dimitrovgrad, 2006.jpg
The Balkan Express at Dimitrovgrad, with a BDŽ Class 07 locomotive.
Overview
Service type Inter City
StatusDiscontinued
Locale Southeastern Europe
First service1991 [1]
Last service2013
Successor Istanbul-Sofia Express
Former operator(s)
Route
Termini Sirkeci station, Istanbul
Main station, Belgrade (2000-13)
Keleti station, Budapest (1991-2000)
Average journey time21 hours, 55 minutes
Train number(s)490/491 (1993-2013)
412/413 (1991-93)
On-board services
Class(es) 2nd, 1st
Disabled accessLimited, due to older equipment
Seating arrangements
  • Open coach car
  • Couchette car
Sleeping arrangements
  • Couchette car
  • Sleeping car
Baggage facilities
  • Overhead racks
Technical
Track gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in)
Electrification

The Balkan Express (Turkish : Balkan Ekspresi) was an international overnight passenger train that ran between Istanbul, Turkey and Belgrade, Serbia, via Sofia, Bulgaria. The train began operations in 1991 from Istanbul to Budapest, Hungary, but was cut back to Belgrade after 2000. Service was discontinued in March 2013, when Sirkeci station closed for the construction of the Marmaray commuter rail network. In 2017, the Istanbul-Sofia Express was inaugurated as a successor to the Balkan Express, although the route was shortened to Sofia.

Contents

History

The name "Balkan Express" was used on a number of different train services from Europe to Istanbul, before the modern iteration of the train.

Previous Iterations

The Balkan Express was launched on 1 January 1916 [2] as a sleeping car service between Berlin and Istanbul. The twice weekly service had a schedule of 58 hours for the 1,200 miles (1,900 km), [3] and it ran through Dresden, Vienna, Belgrade and Sofia. Departures were from Berlin on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and Istanbul on Tuesdays and Saturdays. [4] The train was discontinued in October 1918. [5]

From 1927 the name was given to a train service between the Hook of Holland and Istanbul. [6] With a connecting London and North Eastern Railway service from London Liverpool Street to boat train at Harwich, the journey time from London to Istanbul was 70 hours and 8 minutes. In 1935, the service was accelerated and three hours was cut from the schedule. [7]

In May 1955 a new Balkan Express was launched from Vienna via Graz and Belgrade (avoiding Bulgaria) to Athens and Istanbul. [8]

Balkan Express (1991-2013)

Following the revolutions of 1989, new international train services were inaugurated throughout Eastern Europe. The main train connecting Istanbul to central Europe was the Istanbul Express (Ex 1292/1293), operating between Munich, Germany and Istanbul, via Salzburg, Ljubljana, Zagreb, Belgrade and Sofia. In 1991, a new train service from Istanbul to central Europe was inaugurated, the Balkan Express. [1] This train, numbered Ex 412/413, followed the same route as the Istanbul Express until Belgrade, where the train continued north to Subotica and into Hungary. The train also had through cars to Košice, Czechoslovakia and Warsaw, Poland as well as extra coaches that were added and removed during the trip. In its first years of service, the Balkan Express was a popular train in the Balkans, consisting of equipment from five railways.

According to the 1991 schedule, the train departed Sirkeci station in Istanbul at 18:30 with nine cars, six of which would make the entire trip to Budapest: a baggage car, four couchette cars, three corridor-coach cars and a mail car. The train would reach the Bulgarian/Turkish border at midnight and proceed with custom controls. The next morning, the train would arrive at Sofia at 7:22. Four more cars would be added at Sofia: a dining car, three corridor-coach cars; one of which would continue to Warsaw. The extra cars were added for passengers traveling the daytime section of the route. Arriving at Belgrade at 15:40, the Yugoslavian equipment of the train (a corridor-coach, couchette-coach and mail car) were detached from the train. Arriving at Subotica at 19:20, the train would cross into Hungary and reach Budapest at 22:43. [9] The three through-cars would then be switched onto the R 330 "Polonia" and continue overnight to Warsaw or Košice. [10]

The Balkan Express widely avoided the conflict zones of the Yugoslav Wars, but was still victim to sporadic cancellations. However, the train continued to operate without major changes to its route. In 1994, through car service from Istanbul to Košice was extended further to Petrovice u Karviné, Czech Republic, via Žilina.

In the late 1990s, through-car service to Poland and the Czech Republic/Slovakia were discontinued. Ridership from Turkey greatly declined at the turn of the century, due to a growing economic crisis along with the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. Because of this decline, only two cars regularly made the entire journey from Istanbul to Budapest, a baggage car and a couchette car. The majority of passengers traveled between Sofia, Belgrade and Budapest. [11] After 2000, the train was shortened by 341 km (212 mi) from Budapest to Belgrade. Within Turkey, the Balkan Express was then merged with the Istanbul-Bucharest Bosphorus Express and the two trains operated between Istanbul and Dimitrovgrad as one train. Through-cars to Budapest were re-introduced in 2004, together with new through-car service to Prague, Czech Republic and Chisinau, Moldova. However, these cars were attached to the Boshphorus Express and would detach from the Balkan Express at Dimitrovgrad. The through-cars to Budapest and Prague were then attached to the Transbalkan (460/461), which became the main train connection from central Europe to the Balkan countries. [12]

In the beginning of the 2010s, the Balkan Express had greatly lost its popularity from Turkey, as flying between Balkan countries became more efficient. By 2010, the joint Balkan/Bosphorus Express would depart Istanbul with only three cars, sometimes four. However, the closing of Sirkeci station for the construction of the Marmaray commuter rail project in 2013, led to the discontinuation of the Balkan Express. The Bosphorus Express however, continued to operate to Bucharest. Following the discontinuation of the Balkan Express as an overnight train, the most popular section of the route, between Sofia and Belgrade, remained in service. This train was renamed "Balkan" (1490/1491) and operates as a daily day-time service between the two cities. In 2017, the Turkish State Railways and the Bulgarian State Railways launched a new overnight train service from Istanbul to Sofia, using modern TVS2000 passenger cars. The Istanbul-Sofia Express (492/493) operates daily along the same route as the former Balkan Express, but does not make the full journey to Belgrade. [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>Orient Express</i> Luxury passenger train service in Europe

The Orient Express was a long-distance passenger train service created in 1883 by the Belgian company Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits (CIWL) that operated until 2009. The train traveled the length of continental Europe, with main terminal stations in Paris in the northwest and Istanbul in the southeast, and branches extending service to Athens, Brussels, and London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern Express</span> Railway line in Turkey

The Eastern Express is an overnight passenger train operated by the Turkish State Railways. The train runs 1,310 km (814 mi) from Ankara Railway Station to Kars Railway Station in Kars. The train was the first overnight service east of Ankara. The Eastern Express stops in 7 provincial capitals: Ankara, Kırıkkale, Kayseri, Sivas, Erzincan, Erzurum and Kars. The first train ran in 1936 from Istanbul's Haydarpaşa Terminal to Çetinkaya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sirkeci railway station</span> Train stop in western Istanbul

Sirkeci railway station, listed on maps as Istanbul railway station, is a railway terminal in Istanbul, Turkey. The terminal is located in Sirkeci, on the tip of Istanbul's historic peninsula, right next to the Golden Horn and just northwest of Gülhane Park and the Topkapı Palace. Sirkeci Terminal on the European side of the Bosporus strait, along with Haydarpaşa Terminal on the Asian side, are Istanbul's two intercity and commuter railway terminals. Built in 1890 by the Oriental Railway as the eastern terminus of the world-famous Orient Express that once operated between Paris and Istanbul in the period between 1883 and 2009, Sirkeci Terminal has become a symbol of the city. As of 19 March 2013, service to the station was indefinitely suspended due to the rehabilitation of the existing line between Kazlıçeşme and Halkalı for the new Marmaray commuter rail line. On 29 October 2013, a new underground station was opened to the public and is serviced by Marmaray trains travelling across the Bosphorus. Sirkeci Terminal has a total of 4 platforms with 7 tracks. Formerly, commuter trains to Halkalı would depart from tracks 2, 3 and 4; while regional trains to Kapıkule, Edirne and Uzunköprü, along with international trains to Bucharest, Sofia and Belgrade would depart from tracks 1 and 5.

<i>Venice-Simplon Orient Express</i> Private luxury train service

The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (VSOE) is a private luxury train service from London to Venice and other European cities. It is currently owned by Belmond.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sirkeci</span> Neighborhood in western Istanbul

Sirkeci is a neighborhood in the Eminönü quarter of the Fatih district in Istanbul, Turkey. In the Byzantine period, the area was known as Prosphorion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rail transport in Turkey</span> Overview of rail transport in Turkey

Turkey has a state-owned railway system built to standard gauge which falls under the remit of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. The primary rail carrier is the Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Devlet Demiryolları (TCDD) which is responsible for all long-distance and cross-border freight and passenger trains. A number of other companies operate suburban passenger trains in urban conurbations.

<i>Nihonkai</i> (train)

The Nihonkai was a seasonal overnight train which was operated by the East Japan Railway Company. The train ran overnight between Osaka Station and Aomori Station using the Tōkaidō Main Line, Kosei Line, Hokuriku Main Line, Shinetsu Main Line, Uetsu Main Line, and Ōu Main Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akebono (train)</span> Overnight train service in Japan

The Akebono (あけぼの) was a seasonal limited express sleeper train service operated by East Japan Railway Company, which ran from Ueno Station in Tokyo to Aomori, via the Joetsu Line, Uetsu Main Line and Ou Main Line. The journey took approximately 12 hours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Friendship Express</span>

The Friendship Express, was an international InterCity train jointly operated by the Turkish State Railways (TCDD) and TrainOSE from July 2005 to February 2011, linking Istanbul's Sirkeci Terminal, Turkey and Thessaloniki, Greece. Eastbound trains departed daily at 19:48 from Thessaloniki arriving to Istanbul at 08:07. Westbound trains departed at 20:30 from Istanbul, arriving to Thessaloniki at 09:33.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Turkish State Railways</span> Turkish government-owned national railway company

The State Railways of the Republic of Turkey, abbreviated as TCDD, is a government-owned national railway company responsible with the ownership and maintenance of railway infrastructure in Turkey, as well as the planning and construction of new lines. TCDD was formed on 4 June 1929 as part of the nationalisation of railways in Turkey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chemins de fer Orientaux</span> Ottoman railway company

The Chemins de fer Orientaux was an Ottoman railway company operating in Rumelia and later European Turkey, from 1870 to 1937. The CO was one of the five pioneer railways in the Ottoman Empire and built the main trunk line in the Balkans. Between 1889 and 1937, the railway hosted the world-famous Orient Express.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bosphorus Express</span>

The Bosphorus Express, also known as the Trans Balkan Express, 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taurus Express</span> Turkish passenger train

The Taurus Express is a passenger train operating daily between Konya and Adana. In the past it was a premier overnight passenger train operated by Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits between İstanbul and Baghdad. After 1972, passengers could travel down to Basra via connection to the Express 2 made at Baghdad Central Station. However, service was suspended in 2003, due to the outbreak of war in Iraq. In 2012, the State Railways renewed service between Eskişehir and Adana and will once again service İstanbul when track work in the city is complete. There is a chance that the train may continue to its former terminus in Baghdad in the future, but the possibility remains low for the time being.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karesi Express</span>

The Karesi Express(Turkish: Karesi Ekspresi) was an overnight train, operating between Alsancak Terminal, İzmir and Central Station, Ankara. The train was one of two current train services between İzmir and Ankara. The eastbound journey took about 14 hours and 16 minutes, while the westbound journey took about 14 hours and 45 minutes. The Karesi Express serviced 6 provincial capitals: İzmir, Manisa, Balıkesir, Kütahya, Eskişehir and Ankara.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Thessaloniki railway station</span>

The New Thessaloniki railway station is the main central passenger railway station and terminal of Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city. It is located in the central quarter of Xirokrini on Monastiriou Street and was inaugurated on 12 June 1961, the passenger station replaced the older and much smaller passenger station which now handles the city's cargo rail, hence the name "new railway station" which has been retained.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TCDD TVS2000</span>

The TÜVASAŞ 2000, more commonly known as TVS2000, is a series of intercity railcars built by TÜVASAŞ for the Turkish State Railways between 1993 and 2005. They were built in order to revive TCDD's failing image in the early 1990s, for use on the Capital Express. Today they are the most common railcars in Turkey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Svilengrad railway station</span> Railway station in Svilengrad, Bulgaria

The Svilengrad railway station is the last station before the Bulgaria/Turkey and Bulgaria/Greece border. The station was built in 1874 by the Chemins de fer Orientaux as part of the İstanbul-Vienna Railway. Regional trains to Dimitrovgrad as well as the Bosphorus Express to Bucharest and the Balkans Express to Belgrade via Sofia, both from İstanbul service the station.

The Yarımburgaz train disaster was a head-on collision of two trains that occurred near Yarımburgaz, Küçükçekmece, west of Istanbul in Turkey on 20 October 1957. With 95 dead and 150 wounded people, it is the worst train accident so far in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TCDD Taşımacılık</span> Turkish national train operator

TCDD Taşımacılık A.Ş. is a government-owned railway company responsible for the operations of most passenger and freight rail in Turkey. The company was formed on 14 June 2016, splitting off from the Turkish State Railways (TCDD) to take over railway operations, while TCDD would continue to administer railway infrastructure. TCDD Taşımacılık officially began operations on 1 January 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Istanbul-Sofia Express</span>

The Istanbul-Sofia Express is an international passenger train operating daily between Istanbul, Turkey and Sofia, Bulgaria. The train runs 571.2 km (354.9 mi) from Halkalı station in Istanbul, west to Sofia Central Station in Sofia. The first train departed Halkalı station at 22:40 on 21 February 2017, carrying 22 passengers. The Istanbul-Sofia Express is the successor to the Balkan Express, which operated between Istanbul and Belgrade, Serbia until June 2013.

References

  1. 1 2 "Orient Ex - The End". trains-worldexpresses.com. Retrieved 5 May 2022.
  2. "The First Balkan Express" . Birmingham Daily Post. England. 31 December 1915. Retrieved 5 November 2017 via British Newspaper Archive.
  3. "The first "Balkan Express"" . Nantwich Guardian. England. 21 January 1916. Retrieved 5 November 2017 via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. "Eastern Road. German Communications Threatened" . Sheffield Daily Telegraph. England. 18 September 1916. Retrieved 5 November 2017 via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. "Balkan Express stops running" . Dundee Evening Telegraph. Scotland. 18 October 1918. Retrieved 5 November 2017 via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. "Balkan Express" . Exeter and Plymouth Gazette. England. 14 May 1927. Retrieved 5 November 2017 via British Newspaper Archive.
  7. "The LNER are informed…" . The Scotsman. Scotland. 11 May 1935. Retrieved 5 November 2017 via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. "Balkan Express". Railway Gazette International. 107: 127. 1957.
  9. "Historical train compositions 1991/1992, Ex 412 Balkan Express". vagonweb.cz. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  10. "Historical train compositions 1991/1992, R 330 Polonia". vagonweb.cz. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  11. "Historical train compositions 1999/2000, R 490 Balkan Express". vagonweb.cz. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  12. "Historical train compositions 2004, R 460 Transbalkan". vagonweb.cz. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  13. Uysal, Onur (19 April 2013). "Holiday time for Halkalı". railturkey.org. Retrieved 6 May 2022.