“This is a strictly secondary line which branches off the Sofia-Svilengrad main line and connects several areas of southern Bulgaria”, read CIA report in 1954. A secondary line for spies but not for railfans for sure. Let’s take a closer look at this non-electric narrow-gauge railway to understand why it is unique and why deserves more than a dry CIA note.
“The first section of the narrow-gauge railway line Septemvri-Dobrinishte was put into operation in the distant 1926, and the last sixth stage of it was completed in 1945. It is single line, non-electrified, with a track gauge of 760 mm, which makes it unique for Bulgaria and the Balkans. Apart from its track gauge, the line impresses with its spiral ascents, maximum longitudinal slopes - up to 32 ‰, minimum radii of horizontal curves of 50m and the highest station on the Balkan Peninsula, Avramovo 1267.4 m above sea level. Within a total length of 125 km, 35 tunnels, 23 bridges, retaining walls and numerous culverts have been built”, writes prof. of engineering Mrs. M. G. Lepoev in a 2023 article further dwelling on bridges and tunnels along the railway. “The Septemvri-Dobrinishte narrow-gauge railway is a unique project for Balkans. During its building different type of transport structural facilities and execution technologies were implemented. This railway line is of great importance to connect villages and towns especially in winter when the road traffic is difficult because of the snow cover”, concludes the professor.
The website of the Bulgarian Railways lifts the veil of the technical data and gives us further insight into the rail’s history informing that “the construction started in 1921 at the insistence of the Bulgarian army and the Ministry of Forests with the aim of defending the remote and recently liberated Bulgarian territories, as well as to extract and transport the abundant forest resources in the mountains. The implementation of the project was entrusted to the Labor Conscription, which had been introduced a year prior. Due to the challenging mountainous terrain and economic considerations, a non-standard narrow gauge of 760 mm was chosen. The construction work was carried out in three shifts, operating around the clock. The work is carried out manually. With the aid of controlled explosions, the workers managed to break through the rugged rocks in the inaccessible gorge of the Chepinskaya River. The initial 39 kilometres of the railway line - the Sarambey-Ladzhene (Septemvri-Velingrad) section, were constructed over a period of 5 years. It was officially opened on August 1, 1926. A year later, in 1927, a 3-kilometer stretch was constructed through the farmlands of the Chepinska valley, establishing a connection between the then-villages of Ladzhene and Chepino-Banya, which are now neighbourhoods of the spa capital Velingrad.
In 1928, the eagerly anticipated railway section linking Pazardzhik and Varvara was finally completed. On October 27th of that same year, this railway section was officially inaugurated. Thus, the town and its population were connected with the line to Chepinsko and later also to the Razlog region. The section Pazardzhik-Varvara spanned a distance of 16 kilometres and was closed in autumn 2002.
The construction of the longest and most challenging section of the narrow-gauge railway, stretching from Velingrad to Yakoruda, required a total of thirteen years. This section spans a distance of 47 kilometres and features the construction of 25 tunnels. The final tunnel is located just before the Cherna Mesta stop. When combined with the first ten tunnels between Varvara and Dolene stations, the entire railway line boasts a total of 35 tunnels.
From St. Petka station to Avramovo station, the narrow-gauge line ascends several levels above itself, forming a unique figure-eight shape. This section, known as the "figure eight," has garnered significant attention from tourists worldwide. Avramovo station, situated at an elevation of 1,267.4 meters above sea level, holds the distinction of being the highest railway station on the Balkan Peninsula. At Avramovo station the Rhodope and Rila mountains meet for the first time on the line. Prior to this point, the line had traversed only the Rhodope Mountains. Until 1912, the state border between Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire was located on the site of today's Avramovo station. Then the lands down to Yakoruda and Razlog were liberated.
After Avramovo station, the route descends into the Mesta valley through two circular loops, referred to as the "sixes," eventually reaching the Cherna Mesta stop. Downstream from the village, the Cherna Mesta and Bela Mesta rivers converge to form the Mesta River. Yakoruda, the first settlement along the banks of the Mesta, is a station on the railway line. From the Cherna Mesta station down the line is routed for normal gauge - no tunnels, with slight curves (bends) and gradients. This alteration was made due to the abandonment due to an abandoned idea for a normal railway line from Sofia through Samokov and Borovets to Cherna Mesta and continuing on to Yakoruda, and Bansko. Trains to and from Yakoruda commenced operation as soon as the narrow-gauge section was completed, starting on December 12, 1937.”
Viktor Angelov, one of the long-term employees of Velingrad Railway Station, recalls Russian White Guards and German POWs participating in the construction of the railway in the different periods of time. He points out that the railway began to operate with locomotives and wagons taken from the Cherven Bryag-Oryahovo line. “Since 1928 four steam locomotives of the 500-76 series, manufactured in Poland, have been in operation. Along the line at some of the stations – Bansko, Velingrad, Dolene, Sveta Petka and Yakoruda - water towers and water taps were built to fill steam locomotives with water. After that 600-76 series locomotives were delivered, which were used until the arrival of diesel locomotives. Due to the higher power of the locomotives, the trip from Septemvri to Dobrinishte was shortened by more than 1 hour. In 1942 three diesel locomotives were delivered, in 1952 two more bought from Hungary and in 1966 three more locos were purchased from Germany and seven from Romania. The locomotives were constructed under the technical conditions of the Bulgarian State Railways and consisted mainly of: a diesel engine with a power of 1100 hp, a hydraulic gear and the wheelset formula is B'B'. At their creation (the 1960s), they were the world's most powerful diesel locomotives for the 760 mm gauge. For the first time in Bulgaria the concept of using the cavities in the main locomotive frame for fuel tank was applied. The line was completed in 1938. Tsar Boris III himself drove the train to Dobrinishte. A large population flocked to the stations to see the two miracles - a king and a train”, concludes Mr. Angelov.
Please join us in watching the remaining of the two miracles – Septemvri to Dobrinishte railway on our YouTube channel.
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