Bosphorus Express
{{Short description|International passenger railway line}}
{{Infobox rail service
| box_width =
| name = Bosphorus Express
Bosfor Ekspresi
| logo =
| logo_width =
| image = Bosphorus Express in Bucharest North.jpg
| image_size = 300px
| caption = The Bosphorus Express at Bucharest North station, 16 August 2019. The first car heads towards Sofia, and the 2 couchettes head towards Istanbul.
| type = InterCity
| status = Operating
| locale = European Turkey, eastern Bulgaria, southern Romania
| first =
| last =
| operator = {{Hlist|TCDDT|BDZ|CFR}}
| formeroperator = TCDD (Until 2016)
| start = Halkalı station, Istanbul
| stops = 8
| end = Gara de Nord, Bucharest
| distance =
| journeytime = 13 hours, 29 minutes
| frequency = Daily each way
| trainnumber = 81032, 492, 464 (westbound), 81031, 461 (eastbound)
| class =
| access =
| seating =
| sleeping = Private sleeping room accommodations and couchette cars
| autorack =
| catering = Dining car
| observation =
| entertainment=
| baggage = Yes
| otherfacilities=
| stock =
| gauge = {{RailGauge|sg|allk=on}}
| el = Istanbul to Kapıkule and Dimitrovgrad to Ruse
| speed =
| owners = TCDD Istanbul-Kapıkule
BDŽ Kapitan Andreevo-Ruse
CFR Giurgiu-Bucharest
| map = {{Bosphorus Express}}
| map_state = collapsed
}}The Bosphorus Express ({{langx|bg|Босфор експрес}}), also known as the Trans Balkan Express ({{langx|tr|Bosfor Ekspresi}}), is an international passenger train running between Istanbul, Turkey and Bucharest, Romania.{{Cite web |last=Rogers |first=Dayla |date=2011-10-29 |title=“The Bosphorus Express” or “What I learned after spending the night shaped like a question mark” {{!}} Istanbul to Budapest - |url=https://onajunket.com/the-bosphorus-express-or-what-i-learned-after-spending-the-night-shaped-like-a-question-mark/ |access-date=2024-07-19 |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |last=Allen |first=Robert |date=2003-04-12 |title=To the banks of the Bosphorus |url=https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2003/apr/12/turkey.guardiansaturdaytravelsection |access-date=2024-07-19 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}} It runs together with the Istanbul-Sofia Express{{Cite web |title=Uluslararası Trenler |url=https://www.tcddtasimacilik.gov.tr/trenler/uluslararasi-trenler}} 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).{{Cite web |date=2018-10-14 |title=Bosphor Express (Bucharest Istanbul train) |url=https://railturkey.org/travel/trains/international/bucharest/ |access-date=2024-07-19 |website=Rail Turkey En |language=en}} The train serves several important cities including Istanbul, Edirne, Stara Zagora, and Bucharest.
Stock
{{Unreferenced section|date=July 2024}}
The train is pulled by a variety of locomotives in each country. Today the train consists of three or four cars usually supplied by the three railways. There are two couchettes, either TCDD Intercity stock or CFR 40-31/44-31 stock, a single coach, either TCDD or CFR, and a CFR sleeping car. Since the train uses electrified and non-electrified track, locomotives pulling the train also change. From Istanbul, the train is pulled by an E68000 electric locomotive to Kapıkule, where a BDŽ class-07 diesel locomotive becomes the motive power. At Dimitrovgrad, Bulgaria, the BDŽ class-07 de-couples and either a BDŽ class-43 or a BDZ class-45 electric locomotive couples onto the train. At Russe, the BDŽ electric locomotive is exchanged with a Romanian class-65 diesel locomotive, which pulls the train to Bucharest.
=Typical configurations=
İstanbul–Kapıkule
- TCDD E68000 Locomotive
- TCDD Couchette
- TCDD Couchette
Kapıkule–Dimitrovgrad
- BDŽ Class-07 Locomotive
- TCDD Couchette
- TCDD Couchette
Dimitrovgrad–Gorna Oryahovitsa
- BDŽ Class-43 or BDŽ Class-45 Locomotive
- TCDD Couchette
- BDŽ Coach
Gorna Oryahovitsa–Russe
- BDŽ Class-43 or BDŽ Class-45 Locomotive
- CFR Couchette
- TCDD Couchette
- BDŽ Coach
Russe–Bucharest
- CFR Class-65 Locomotive
- CFR Couchette
- TCDD Couchette
Between Dimitrovgrad and Russe, one or two BDŽ Coaches are added to the train for domestic travel.
Route
{{More citations needed|section|date=July 2024}}
The journey starts at {{rws|Halkali||Halkali station}}{{Cite web |title=Bosphorus Express |url=https://www.interrail.eu/en/plan-your-trip/tips-and-tricks/trains-europe/night-trains/bosphorus-express-night-train |access-date=2023-08-12 |website=www.interrail.eu |language=en-GB}} in the suburb of Marmaray, {{cvt|27|km}} from Istanbul's Sirkeci Terminal. After passing through Edirne it arrives at the town of Kapıkule on the Turkish-Bulgarian border.{{Cite web |title=Night train Istanbul - Bucharest D 81032/492/464/460/462/1094 Bosphorus Express (Bosfor) |url=https://rail.cc/night-train/istanbul-bucharest-bosfor/226}} The electric locomotive disconnects and is replaced with a diesel locomotive. Passengers need to disembark and cross the rail tracks to clear passport control. After the city of Gorna Oryahovitsa, the train arrives at the city of Ruse on the Danube river. A diesel locomotive once again takes over, and it crosses the Danube via the Danube Bridge and into the Romanian town of Giurgiu, stopping at the Giurgiu North Railway Station. Then it continues north to Bucharest. After circling the city, the train enters from the northwest into Bucharest North railway station.
Gallery
Bosphorus Express at Sirkeci.JPG|The Bosphorus Express at Sirkeci Terminal.
Bosphorus Express at Bucharest.jpg|The Bosphorus Express waiting to depart Bucharest.
Bosphorus Express, 2007.JPG|The old destination board on a TCDD couchette car.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Sister project links|auto=yes|d=yes}}
{{TCDD Routes}}
Category:Named passenger trains of Turkey
Category:Passenger rail transport in Bulgaria