A term «narrow railway» is directly related to the width of track gauge. In Bulgaria this type of railway is called a «tight ruler» (теснолинейка). Narrow railway is easier to build and cheaper to operate. The space between the rails in the Rhodope narrow gauge is only 760 mm, while the standard track size is 1520 mm. «Septemvri — Dobrinishte» is a last part of an old narrow gauge in Bulgaria.
Route passes through the Rila and Rhodope Mountains, offering to passengers a scenic view of meadows, villages and gorges. Travel time, from the first station to the last one is only a 5 hours. Rhodope narrow gauge railway was built during the war years, step by step, between 1921 — 1944. Some parts of the road was closed in 2003.
Fare is not high, price is calculated per kilometer and depends on the start and end points of the trip. Children under 6 years can travel for free. Students, pensioners and children, older than 7 years are given a discount of 50% (but special discount card is required).
Bulgarian narrow railway cash desk
Bulgarian Narrow Gauge route on the Google map
Map symbols:
- Station
- Stop
- Closed station
- Roadside facility
- Functioning railway
- Closed railway
- Bridge / Overpass
- Tunnel
Tickets can be purchased at the station, right before the trip, but no later than 5 minutes before the departure. If you take a train on a terminal without cash desk, ticket will be sold in a wagon. Online purchase is available on the official Bulgarian Railways website (https://bdztickets.com). Also, tickets can be bought at the regular railway cash office.
The cost of travel
Smoking is prohibited in the train
Price of the entire route from Septemvri to Dobrinishte is 6.50 BGN (2,98 GBP). A round-trip ticket costs 11.70 BGN (5,37 GBP).
| route | one way | roundtrip |
| Septemvri — Bansko | 6,10 BGN | 10,50 BGN |
| Septemvri - Dobrinishte | 6,50 BGN | 11,70 BGN |
| Septemvry - Velingrad | 2,70 BGN | 4,90 BGN |
| Velingrad — Bansko | 4,20 BGN | 7,60 BGN |
| Sofia — Velingrad | 8,20 BGN | 14,00 BGN |
| Sofia — Dobrinishte | 11,30 BGN | 19,60 BGN |
| Burgas — Dobrinishte | 21,50 BGN | 37,35 BGN |
| Plovdiv — Dobrinishte | 9,50 BGN | 16,30 BGN |
Rhodope Narrow Gauge ticket prices
By the way, Bulgarian Railways additionally offers an excursion in old retro-wagon, but the cost of such trip is much higher, than a regular and requires a special booking. Here are contacts for the request: e-mail
Schedule
Rhodope Narrow Gauge railway works daily, 4 trains leave in each direction. The timetable is the same every day.
From Dobrinishte to Septemvri
| Station | Cash desk | Dep. | arr.. | Dep. | arr.. | Dep. | arr.. | Dep. | arr.. |
| Septemvri | ✔ | — | 02:20 | — | 08:45 | — | 12:25 | — | 16:25 |
| Pamporovo | 02:26 | 02:26 | 08:51 | 08:51 | 12:31 | 12:31 | 16:31 | 16:31 | |
| Varvara | ✔ | 02:31 | 02:34 | 08:56 | 08:59 | 12:36 | 12:40 | 16:35 | 16:38 |
| Marco Nikolov | 02:45 | 02:45 | 09:10 | 09:10 | 12:51 | 12:51 | 16:49 | 16:49 | |
| Tsepina | 02:54 | 02:54 | 09:19 | 09:19 | 13:00 | 13:00 | 16:58 | 16:58 | |
| Dolene | 03:10 | 03:11 | 09:36 | 09:37 | 13:15 | 13:16 | 17:14 | 17:15 | |
| Kostandovo | ✔ | 03:35 | 03:36 | 10:01 | 10:02 | 13:40 | 13:53 | 17:39 | 17:40 |
| Velingrad | ✔ | 03:48 | 04:08 | 10:14 | 10:17 | 14:05 | 14:08 | 17:52 | 17:55 |
| Velingrad-south | 04:14 | 04:14 | 10:23 | 10:23 | 14:14 | 14:14 | 18:01 | 18:01 | |
| Ostrets | 04:29 | 04:29 | 10:38 | 13:38 | 14:29 | 14:29 | 18:16 | 18:16 | |
| Tsvetino | ✔ | 04:39 | 04:40 | 10:48 | 10:49 | 14:39 | 14:42 | 18:26 | 18:27 |
| St. Petka | 04:49 | 04:49 | 10:58 | 13:58 | 14:51 | 14:51 | 18:36 | 18:36 | |
| Avramovo | ✔ | 05:11 | 05:16 | 11:19 | 11:22 | 15:13 | 15:16 | 18:57 | 19:00 |
| Smolevo | 05:26 | 05:26 | 11:31 | 11:31 | 15:25 | 15:25 | 19:09 | 19:09 | |
| Cherna Mesta | 05:39 | 05:39 | 11:44 | 11:44 | 15:38 | 15:38 | 19:22 | 19:22 | |
| Yakorouda | ✔ | 05:50 | 05:53 | 11:55 | 11:57 | 15:49 | 15:51 | 19:33 | 19:34 |
| Yurukovo | 06:10 | 06:10 | 12:14 | 12:14 | 16:08 | 16:08 | 19:51 | 19:51 | |
| Dagonovo | 06:15 | 06:15 | 12:18 | 12:18 | 16:12 | 16:12 | 19:56 | 19:56 | |
| Belitsa | ✔ | 06:25 | 06:38 | 12:28 | 12:31 | 16:22 | 16:24 | 20:06 | 20:09 |
| General Kovachev | 06:46 | 06:46 | 12:38 | 12:38 | 16:31 | 16:31 | 20:17 | 20:17 | |
| Guliyna Banya | 06:57 | 06:57 | 12:49 | 12:49 | 16:42 | 16:42 | 20:28 | 20:28 | |
| Razlog | ✔ | 07:06 | 07:09 | 12:58 | 13:01 | 16:50 | 16:53 | 20:37 | 20:40 |
| Bansko | ✔ | 07:17 | 07:28 | 13:09 | 13:19 | 17:01 | 17:08 | 20:48 | 20:58 |
| Saint George | 07:34 | 07:34 | 13:25 | 13:25 | 17:14 | 17:14 | 21:04 | 21:04 | |
| Dobrinishte | ✔ | 07:40 | — | 13:31 | — | 17:20 | — | 21:10 | — |
| train name & number |
№ 16101 «Vihren» |
№ 16103 «Rodopi» |
№ 16105 «Mesta» |
№ 16103 «Rila» |
|||||
Wagon interior in «Rodopi» train
From Septemvri to Dobrinishte
| Station | Cash desk | Dep. | arr.. | Dep. | arr.. | Dep. | arr.. | Dep. | arr.. |
| Dobrinishte | ✔ | — | 05:38 | — | 10:20 | — | 14:15 | — | 17:50 |
| Saint George | 15:45 | 05:45 | 10:27 | 10:27 | 14:31 | 14:21 | 17:57 | 17:57 | |
| Bansko | ✔ | 05:51 | 05:56 | 10:33 | 10:38 | 14:27 | 14:32 | 18:03 | 18:08 |
| Razlog | ✔ | 06:04 | 06:07 | 10:46 | 10:49 | 14:40 | 14:43 | 18:16 | 18:19 |
| Guliyna Banya | 06:16 | 06:16 | 10:58 | 10:58 | 14:52 | 14:52 | 18:28 | 18:28 | |
| General Kovachev | 06:27 | 06:27 | 11:08 | 11:08 | 15:02 | 15:02 | 18:39 | 18:39 | |
| Belitsa | ✔ | 06:34 | 06:36 | 11:15 | 11:17 | 15:09 | 15:12 | 18:46 | 18:49 |
| Dagonovo | 06:46 | 06:46 | 11:27 | 11:27 | 15:22 | 15:22 | 18:59 | 18:59 | |
| Yurukovo | 06:50 | 06:50 | 11:31 | 11:31 | 15:26 | 15:26 | 19:04 | 19:04 | |
| Yakorouda | ✔ | 06:50 | 06:50 | 11:48 | 11:58 | 15:43 | 15:53 | 19:21 | 19:36 |
| Cherna Mesta | 07:22 | 07:22 | 12:10 | 12:10 | 16:05 | 16:05 | 19:48 | 19:48 | |
| Smolevo | 07:35 | 07:35 | 12:23 | 12:23 | 16:19 | 16:19 | 20:01 | 20:01 | |
| Avramovo | ✔ | 07:44 | 07:47 | 12:32 | 12:34 | 16:29 | 16:34 | 20:10 | 20:13 |
| St. Petka | 08:08 | 08:08 | 12:55 | 12:55 | 16:56 | 16:56 | 20:35 | 20:35 | |
| Tsvetino | ✔ | 08:17 | 08:18 | 13:03 | 13:04 | 17:05 | 17:10 | 20:43 | 20:41 |
| Ostrets | 08:28 | 08:28 | 13:44 | 13:44 | 17:20 | 17:20 | 20:54 | 20:54 | |
| Velingrad-south | 08:43 | 08:43 | 13:29 | 13:29 | 17:35 | 17:35 | 21:09 | 21:09 | |
| Velingrad | ✔ | 08:48 | 08:51 | 13:34 | 13:37 | 17:41 | 17:56 | 21:14 | 21:19 |
| Kostandovo | ✔ | 09:03 | 09:05 | 13:49 | 13:51 | 18:08 | 18:10 | 21:31 | 21:33 |
| Dolene | 09:28 | 09:39 | 14:14 | 14:15 | 18:33 | 18:34 | 21:56 | 21:57 | |
| Tsepina | 09:55 | 09:56 | 14:30 | 14:30 | 18:50 | 18:50 | 22:13 | 22:13 | |
| Marco Nikolov | 10:05 | 10:05 | 14:39 | 14:39 | 18:58 | 18:58 | 22:22 | 22:22 | |
| Varvara | ✔ | 10:15 | 10:19 | 14:49 | 14:51 | 19:08 | 19:10 | 22:32 | 22:34 |
| Pamporovo | 10:24 | 10:24 | 14:56 | 14:56 | 19:15 | 19:15 | 22:39 | 22:39 | |
| Septemvri | ✔ | 10:30 | — | 15:02 | — | 19:21 | — | 22:45 | — |
| train name & number |
№ 16101 «Vihren» |
№ 16103 «Rodopi» |
№ 16105 «Mesta» |
№ 16103 «Rila» |
|||||
What does the ticket look like?
Bulgarian Narrow Railway Features
The train length is quite short: at the head one red locomotive plus 4 small wagons. Unfortunately, the condition of railway stations does not hold water: everything is shabby, old and needs repair. However, some tourists believe it looks atmospheric. Wagons haven't any soundproofing, so the journey is quite noisy. Usually there aren't many people: some peaceful gypsies and Bulgarian «babushkas» with bagful.
The train moves at a snail's speed, so you'll have enough time to take a close look on the landscapes and photograph everything. There is a toilet, by the way, but no buffet or any opportunity to buy food, so take some in advance. The seats are soft, covered with fabric. Conductors, tired of endless journey, demonstrating some basic English.
If you are planning to travel till the final station «Dobrinishte», we would recomend you stay and visit hot mineral pool. Big local SPA complex «Аlpha» (Алфа) is open all year long, from 9.00 to 19.00, while the price is only 10 BGN (4,59 GBP) per person for the whole day.
So, we wish you a pleasant trip and hope to see you comments soon.