Balkan Express (train)

Balkan Express
The Balkan Express at Dimitrovgrad, with a BDŽ Class 07 locomotive.
Overview
Service typeInter City
StatusDiscontinued
LocaleSoutheastern Europe
First service1991[1]
Last service2013
SuccessorIstanbul-Sofia Express
Former operator(s)
Route
TerminiSirkeci station, Istanbul
Main station, Belgrade (2000–2013)
Keleti station, Budapest (1991–2000)
Average journey time21 hours, 55 minutes
Train number(s)490/491 (1993–2013)
412/413 (1991–1993)
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 gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 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.

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 Chișinău, 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]

  • The joint Balkan/Bosphorus Express waiting to depart Sirkeci station with a TCDD E52500 series electric locomotive.
    The joint Balkan/Bosphorus Express waiting to depart Sirkeci station with a TCDD E52500 series electric locomotive.
  • The Balkan Express in Sofia.
    The Balkan Express in Sofia.
  • The Balkan Express departing Dragoman with a BDŽ Class 44 locomotive pulling.
    The Balkan Express departing Dragoman with a BDŽ Class 44 locomotive pulling.
  • The Balkan Express near Pirot with a ŽS series 661 locomotive pulling. The train is running between the non-electrified section between Kalotina and Niš.
    The Balkan Express near Pirot with a ŽS series 661 locomotive pulling. The train is running between the non-electrified section between Kalotina and Niš.
  • The Balkan Express in Niš. The JŽ class 441 locomotive takes over for the third and final electrified stretch to Belgrade.
    The Balkan Express in Niš. The JŽ class 441 locomotive takes over for the third and final electrified stretch to Belgrade.
  • Destination board.
    Destination board.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "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.

Read other articles:

George Sanders

George SandersFoto Sanders oleh Allan Warren (1972)LahirGeorge Henry Sanders(1906-07-03)3 Juli 1906Sankt-Peterburg, Kekaisaran RusiaMeninggal25 April 1972(1972-04-25) (umur 65)Castelldefels, Barcelona, Catalunya, SpanyolSebab meninggalOverdosis obat bius tidurPendidikanBedales School, Brighton CollegeAlmamaterManchester Technical CollegePekerjaanAktor, penulis, penyanyi-penulis lagu, komposer musikTahun aktif1936–1972Suami/istriSusan Larson ​(m. 1940Ȇ...

 

 

Georgien

GeorgienსაქართველოSakartvelo Flagga Statsvapen Valspråk: ძალა ერთობაშია(Styrkan ligger i enigheten) Nationalsång: თავისუფლება(Tavisupleba) läge läge Huvudstad(även största stad) Tbilisi Officiellt språk georgiska Statsskick republik  -  President Salomé Zurabisjvili  -  Premiärminister Irakli Kobachidze Nationalförsamling Parlamentet Självständighet från Sovjetunionen   -&...

 

 

Mario Zenari

Italian prelate of the Catholic Church (born 1946) His EminenceMario ZenariCardinalApostolic Nuncio to SyriaZenari in 2022.ChurchRoman Catholic ChurchAppointed30 December 2008PredecessorGiovanni Battista MorandiniOther post(s)Cardinal-Deacon of Santa Maria delle Grazie alle Fornaci fuori Porta CavalleggeriOrdersOrdination5 July 1970by Giuseppe CarraroConsecration25 September 1999by Angelo SodanoCreated cardinal19 November 2016by Pope FrancisRankCardinal DeaconPersonal detailsBornMar...

Scintillation counter

Instrument for measuring ionizing radiation Schematic showing incident high energy photon hitting a scintillating crystal, triggering the release of low-energy photons which are then converted into photoelectrons and multiplied in the photomultiplier A scintillation counter is an instrument for detecting and measuring ionizing radiation by using the excitation effect of incident radiation on a scintillating material, and detecting the resultant light pulses. It consists of a scintillator whic...

 

 

كريم يودا

كريم يودا (بالفرنسية: Abdoul Karim Yoda)‏  معلومات شخصية الميلاد 25 أكتوبر 1988 (36 سنة)[1]  أنيماس  الطول 1.82 م (5 قدم 11 1⁄2 بوصة) مركز اللعب وسط الجنسية فرنسا  معلومات النادي النادي الحالي نادي الوحدة الرقم 74 مسيرة الشباب سنوات فريق 2000–2007 سيرفيت المسيرة الاحترا...

 

 

Warrior, Alabama

Untuk kegunaan lain, lihat Warrior. Warrior, AlabamakotaNegaraAmerika SerikatNegara bagianAlabamacountyBlount, JeffersonLuas • Total7,9 sq mi (20,4 km2) • Luas daratan7,9 sq mi (20,4 km2) • Luas perairan0 sq mi (0 km2)Ketinggian564 ft (172 m)Populasi (2000) • Total3.169 • Kepadatan401,1/sq mi (155,3/km2)Zona waktuUTC-6 (Central (CST)) • Musim panas (DST)UTC-...

Buddy Rosar

American baseball player (1914-1994) Baseball player Buddy RosarCatcherBorn: (1914-07-03)July 3, 1914Buffalo, New York, U.S.Died: March 13, 1994(1994-03-13) (aged 79)Rochester, New York, U.S.Batted: RightThrew: RightMLB debutApril 29, 1939, for the New York YankeesLast MLB appearanceSeptember 19, 1951, for the Boston Red SoxMLB statisticsBatting average.261Home runs18Runs batted in367 Teams New York Yankees (1939–1942) Cleveland Indians (1943–1944) Phila...

 

 

روبرت آدمسون (فيلسوف)

  لمعانٍ أخرى، طالع روبرت آدمسون (توضيح). هذه المقالة يتيمة إذ تصل إليها مقالات أخرى قليلة جدًا. فضلًا، ساعد بإضافة وصلة إليها في مقالات متعلقة بها. (مارس_2013) روبرت آدمسون (بالإنجليزية: Robert Adamson)‏    معلومات شخصية الميلاد 19 يناير 1852 [1]  إدنبرة  الوفاة 5 فبراير...

 

 

中华人民共和国国家元首列表

  提示：此条目页的主题不是中華人民共和國最高領導人。 中华人民共和国 中华人民共和国政府与政治系列条目 执政党 中国共产党 党章、党旗党徽 主要负责人、领导核心 领导集体、民主集中制 意识形态、组织 以习近平同志为核心的党中央 两个维护、两个确立 全国代表大会 （二十大） 中央委员会 （二十届） 总书记：习近平 中央政治局 常务委员会 中央书记处 �...

A Tribute for the Negro

A Tribute for the NegroTitre original (en) A Tribute for the Negro: Being a Vindication of the Moral, Intellectual, and Religious Capabilities of the Coloured Portion of Mankind; With Particular Reference to the African RaceAuteur Wilson Armistead (en)Date de parution 1848modifier - modifier le code - modifier Wikidata A Tribute for the Negro: being a vindication of the moral, intellectual, and religious capabilities of the coloured portion of mankind; with particular reference to the Af...

 

 

1900年美國總統選舉

1900年美國總統選舉 ← 1896 1900年11月6日 1904 → 447張選舉人票獲勝需224張選舉人票投票率73.2%[1] ▼ 6.1 %   获提名人 威廉·麥金利 威廉·詹寧斯·布賴恩 政党 共和黨 民主党 家鄉州 俄亥俄州 內布拉斯加州 竞选搭档 西奧多·羅斯福 阿德萊·史蒂文森一世 选举人票 292 155 胜出州/省 28 17 民選得票 7,228,864 6,370,932 得票率 51.6% 45.5% 總統選舉結果地圖，紅色代表�...

 

 

Katedral Wawel

Katedral Wawel di Bukit Wawel Katedral Wawel, atau dikenal pula sebagai Katedral Basilika Sts. Staniław dan Vaclav, adalah sebuah gereja katedral Katolik yang terletak di Bukit Wawel di Kraków, Polandia. Tempat ini memiliki sejarah sepanjang 1.000 tahun dan tempat penobatan tradisional kerajaan- kerajaan Polandia. Katedral ini adalah katedral dari Uskup Agung Kraków. Paus Yohanes Paulus II mengadakan Misa pertamanya sebagai seorang Uskup Agung di ruang bawah tanah katedral ini pada tanggal...

哈萨克斯坦总统

此条目序言章节没有充分总结全文内容要点。 (2019年3月21日)请考虑扩充序言，清晰概述条目所有重點。请在条目的讨论页讨论此问题。 哈萨克斯坦總統哈薩克總統旗現任Қасым-Жомарт Кемелұлы Тоқаев卡瑟姆若马尔特·托卡耶夫自2019年3月20日在任任期7年首任努尔苏丹·纳扎尔巴耶夫设立1990年4月24日（哈薩克蘇維埃社會主義共和國總統） 哈萨克斯坦 哈萨克斯坦政府...

 

 

Gunung Baekdu

Gunung BaekduGunung Baekdu pada April tahun 2003Titik tertinggiKetinggian2.744 m (9.003 ft)Puncak2.593 m (8.507 ft)GeografiGunung BaekduLokasi di Korea Utara, di perbatasan TiongkokLetakRyanggang, Korea UtaraJilinGeologiJenis gunungStratovolcanoLetusan terakhir1903[1] Gunung Baekdu atau Gunung Paektu (백두산), juga dikenal dengan nama Gunung Changbai dalam bahasa Tionghoa, adalah sebuah gunung berapi yang terletak di antara perbatasan Republik Rakyat Tiongkok da...

 

 

Ernest Paul

French cyclist Ernest PaulPersonal informationFull nameErnest PaulNicknameErnest FaberBorn(1881-12-05)5 December 1881Villotte-sur-Ource, FranceDied9 September 1964(1964-09-09) (aged 82)Saint-Gatien-des-Bois, FranceTeam informationDisciplineRoadRoleRiderMajor winstwo stages Tour de France Ernest Paul (5 December 1881 – 9 September 1964) was a French professional road bicycle racer. Paul was born in Villotte-sur-Ource, and was a half-brother of Tour de France-winner François Fa...

Bayi Rockets

Bayi Army RocketsDidirikan1995LigaCBASejarah timBayi Rockets (1995-sekarang)Berbasis diNingbo, Zhejiang, TiongkokArenaAren Youngor, 5,000 kapasitasColorsmerah, kuning, putih     Kepala pelatihAdiljanChampionships8 Bayi Rockets Hanzi: 八一双鹿电池火箭 Alih aksara Mandarin - Hanyu Pinyin: Bāyī Shuānglù Diànchí Huǒjiàn - Wade-Giles: Pai Shuanglu Tiench'ih Huochien Yue (Kantonis) - Romanisasi Yale: Baat3 yat1 Seung luk6 Din6 chi4 Fo2 jin3 - Jyutping: Baat3 jat1 Soe...

 

 

Кубок Латвії з футболу 2004

Кубок Латвії 2004 Подробиці Дата проведення 2 травня — 26 вересня 2004 Кількість учасників 38 Призові місця  Чемпіон Вентспілс (2-й раз) Віцечемпіон Сконто Статистика Зіграно матчів 37 Забито голів 182 (4.92 за матч) ← 2003 2005 → Кубок Латвії з футболу 2004 — 63-й розіграш кубко�...

 

 

Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre

Concert hall in Atlanta, Georgia Cobb Energy Performing Arts CentreAddress2800 Cobb Galleria ParkwayAtlanta, GeorgiaUnited StatesCoordinates33°53′02″N 84°27′29″W / 33.883803°N 84.458063°W / 33.883803; -84.458063Parking1000 spaces[1]OwnerCobb-Marietta Coliseum & Exhibit Hall AuthorityOperatorCobb-Marietta Coliseum & Exhibit Hall AuthorityTypePerforming arts centerCapacity2,750ConstructionOpenedSeptember 15, 2007ArchitectSmallwood, Reynolds, S...

Packard Twin Six

Der Packard Twin Six bezeichnet eine Serie von V12-Zylinder-Automobilen, die die Packard Motor Car Company in Detroit in den Modelljahren 1916 bis 1923 fertigte. Im Jahre 1932 lebte das Modell noch einmal auf, wurde im Folgejahr dann aber in Packard Twelve umbenannt. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 1916–1923 2 1932 3 Quellen 4 Weblinks 1916–1923 Packard 1-35 Twin Six Touring (1. Serie, 1916) Nachdem Packard 1913 die ersten Sechszylindermodelle eingeführt hatte, machte man einen weiteren Schritt in ...

 

 

البلديخو (سيوداد ريال)

  البلديخو (بالإسبانية: Albaladejo)‏[1]   - بلدية -    البلديخو (سيوداد ريال) البلديخو (سيوداد ريال) تقسيم إداري البلد إسبانيا  [2] المقاطعة مقاطعة ثيوداد ريال خصائص جغرافية إحداثيات 38°37′05″N 2°48′22″W / 38.618055555556°N 2.8061111111111°W / 38.618055555556; -2.8061111111111...