ANKARA
State-owned Bulgaria’s Railway Co has dropped 38 trains from its schedule Monday after the transport minister decided to reduce the company’s subsidies.
According to Bulgarian State Railways, 140 trains in total will disappear from the timetables. The next phase of the suspensions will take place in February.
”The subsidy of the state railway company decreases by 40 million lev ($24 million),” Ivaylo Moskovski, Minister of Transport said in December 2014.
Bulgaria Independent Trade Unions Confederation and Railway Workers' Union president said those "affected are workers and students."
The trade unions said that they would not accept the decision because more than 1,000 people may lose their jobs.
A protest has been scheduled for Saturday in Gorna Oryahovitsa in the north of the country. The unions also warned of a national strike after collecting over 10,000 signatures in a petition against the depleted schedule.
Executive Director of Railways, Vladimir Vladimirov, said the decision to reduce the number of trains had been inevitable because of economic reasons.
