Public buses in Sofia explained

Sofia Public bus system
Owner:Stolichna Municipality
Area Served:Stolichna Municipality
Locale:Sofia, Bulgaria
Transit Type:Bus
Lines:99[1]
Operator:
  • Sofia Bus Transport JSC
  • Sofia Electric Transport JSC
  • MTK Group
System Length:23801NaN1[2]
Average Speed:20km/h

The Sofia public bus system (Bulgarian: Автобусен транспорт София) forms part of the public transport network of Sofia, the capital city of Bulgaria.

In operation since 1935, the system presently comprises 98 routes.

History

The public bus transport in Sofia developed relatively late compared to the other types of transport in the city. The first operational line was opened on 20 April 1935. Soon after that six more lines were opened, bringing the total network length to 23 km.[2] During the communist era, the bus fleet consisted mainly of Ikarus and Bulgarian-made Chavdar buses. After the political changes in 1989, however, the fleet has gradually been modernised.

Lines

Below is a list of bus lines operating in Sofia. Lines numbered 1 to 604 are normal bus lines. Lines with numbers from 800 onwards are additional bus lines. "N" index lines are night bus lines and "X" index lines are express bus lines.

As of August 2024, the following bus lines in Sofia are in service:

LineRouteGarage
1Geo Milev Bus Station – KokalyaneMalashevtsi
3Geo Milev Bus Station – Dolni Pasarel VillageMalashevtsi
4Mladost 1 – Kokalyansko HancheDruzhba
5Geo Milev Bus Station – Dolni Lozen VillageMalashevtsi
6Geo Milev Bus Station – GermanIskar trolleybus depot
7Iskar Railway Station – Verila Train StationDruzhba
8German – KrivinaDruzhba
9Iskar Motorservice Station – Gen. Gurko St.Druzhba
10Busmantsi – Dimitar MilenkovDruzhba
11Geo Milev Bus Station – Ovcha Kupel 2Zemlyane
12Iztok Bus Station – Dolni BogrovMTK Group
14Iskar Train Station – Iztok Bus StationDruzhba
18Orlandovtsi Bus Station – Chepintsi MillMTK Group
20Lions' Bridge Sq. – LokorskoMTK Group
21Central Railway Station – VoynegovtsiMTK Group
22Central Railway Station – PodgumerMTK Group
23Orlandovtsi Bus Station – Kurilo Train StationMalashevtsi
24Orlandovtsi Bus Station – BenkovskiMTK Group
26Obelya 1 – GnilyaneMalashevtsi
27Kn. Maria Luisa Metro Station – KatinaMTK Group
28Lokorsko – MramorMalashevtsi
29Iliyantsi Bus Station – BalshaMTK Group
30Obelya 1 – BalshaMTK Group
31Obelya 1 – GolyanovtsiMTK Group
42Lyulin 8 – MihaylovoZemlyane
44Bankya Bus Station – IvanyaneZemlyane
47Slivnitsa Metro Station – GradomanZemlyane
49Slivnitsa Metro Station – KlisuraZemlyane
X50Eagles' BridgeVrana Park And MuseumMalashevtsi
54Slivnitsa Metro StationKalotina JunctionZemlyane
56Vardar Metro Station – Malo BuchinoZemlyane
58Knyazhevo Bus Station – VladayaZemlyane
59Moesia Metro Station – MarchaevoZemlyane
60Central Railway StationOvcha Kupel 2Nadezhda trolleybus depot
63Tsar Boris III Blvd – The Golden BridgesZemlyane
64Sofia Zoo – Centre of HygieneZemlyane
66Sofia Zoo – Moreni HotelZemlyane
67Sofia Seminary – SimeonovoZemlyane
68Sofia Zoo – SimeonovoZemlyane
69National Oncology Hospital – Tsareva MahalaDruzhba
70National Oncology Hospital – PlanaDruzhba
72Pliska Hotel – Zapaden ParkMalashevtsi
73Ovcha Kupel 2 – Mladost 1Iskar / Nadezhda trolleybus depots
74Central Railway Station – Manastirski LivadiNadezhda trolleybus depot
75Geo Milev Bus Station – Eagles' BridgeDruzhba
76Mladost 4 – Gotse DelchevDruzhba
77Central Railway Station – Zapaden ParkZemlyane
78Central Railway Station – VrazhdebnaMalashevtsi
79Hristo Botev – StindMalashevtsi
81Obelya Train Station – IvanyaneMTK Group
82Central Railway StationLyulin 5Malashevtsi
83Sofia Zoo – Hyundai BulgariaZemlyane
84Sofia Airport T2/T1 – Gen. Gurko St.Iskar trolleybus depot
85Hadzhi Dimitar – Vrabnitsa 2Malashevtsi
86Svoboda – Malashevtsi Bus DepotMTK Group
88Sofia Zoo – Druzhba 2Druzhba
90Malashevtsi Bus Depot – BuhovoMTK Group
94Sofia University – Students' TownMalashevtsi
98Sofia Zoo – ZheleznitsaZemlyane
100Benkovski – Road Building EquipmentMalashevtsi
101Central Railway Station – Fondovi ZhilishtaMalashevtsi
102Ovcha Kupel 2 – Students' TownZemlyane
103Ovcha Kupel Bus Station – Lyulin Villa ZoneZemlyane
107Boyana Church – KapruzitsaZemlyane
108Lyulin 5 – Hyundai BulgariaZemlyane
X9Aleksandar Teodorov - Balan Metro Station – LozenetsZemlyane
X10Buxton - Mladost 1Zemlyane
111Mladost 1 – Lyulin 1,2Zemlyane
117Iztok Bus Station – BuhovoMTK Group
118Iztok Bus Station – ZhelyavaMTK Group
119Iztok Bus Station – BotunetsMTK Group
120Sofia Zoo – Levski GMalashevtsi
123Geo Milev Bus Station – Aerial Lift SimeonovoIskar trolleybus depot
150Obelya 1 – VoluyakMalashevtsi
184Sofia Airport T1/T2 – Gen. Gurko St.Iskar trolleybus depot
204Druzhba 2 – Gotse DelchevDruzhba
213Central Railway Station – Mladost 4Druzhba
260Gorna Banya – Prague BlvdZemlyane
280Students' Town – Sofia UniversityMalashevtsi
285Malashevtsi
288Geo Milev Bus Station - Sofia ZooIskar trolleybus depot
294Students' Town – G.M.Dimitrov Metro StationMalashevtsi
304National Historic Museum – Druzhba 2Malashevtsi
305Central Railway Station – Peifil Culinary FactoryDruzhba
309Lyulin 1,2 – Iliyantsi Blvd underpassMalashevtsi
310Lyulin 5 – Stochna Gara Sq.Malashevtsi
314Mladost 1 – BistritsaDruzhba
404Central Railway Station – Druzhba Bus DepotDruzhba
413Central Railway Station – Technopolis Mladost 4 Qr.Druzhba
604Iskar Railway Station – Pirogov HospitalDruzhba
805 Bushin - Metro Station VitoshaZemlyane

Night bus service

Sofia has a night bus service. It was launched by Sofia Urban Mobility Center on an experimental basis from 7 April 2018 until 31 December 2018.[3] Tickets for the night bus can be obtained solely from conductors on the bus, and not from the driver, machines or other public transport ticket sale points. Tickets for the night bus cost 2 leva compared to the daytime price of 1.60 leva.[3] Knyaz Alexander Square is used as the site of a transfer location where all night bus lines meet and passengers can switch lines.[4] [5]

Four routes are included and operated from 23:30 until 04:20 at intervals of 1 hour.[5] [3] The night bus service was closed due to COVID-19. In November of 2023, the N1 and N2 lines were re-established, with the rest of the network being brought back in December of the same year, but with changed routes:[6]

Fleet

Current fleet

Sofia Bus Transport
Quantity Manufacturer Type Photo
60BMCProcity CNG
132YutongZK6126HGA
20YutongE12LF
186MANLion´s City G CNG A23
15Mercedes-BenzIntouro
35Mercedes-BenzConecto LF
46BMCBelde 220-SLF
30Mercedes-BenzO345 Conecto
49Mercedes-BenzO345 Conecto G
3Mercedes-BenzO345S
8Mercedes-BenzO345G
25MANSG262
Sofia Electric Transport
MTK Group

Heritage fleet

Built Manufacturer Type Photo
1983 MANSD200
1988Ikarus280
1996Chavdar141

See also

Notes and References

  1. http://www.sofiatraffic.bg/en/transport/schedules
  2. http://www.sofiatraffic.bg/en/transport/istoriia-na-gradskiia-transport/59/istoriia-na-avtobusniia-transport History of the bus transport in Sofia
  3. Web site: Bulgarian capital Sofia launches night bus service. 8 April 2018 . Sofia Globe . 2022-05-19.
  4. Web site: Night Transport in Sofia. Free Sofia Tour . 2018-04-03. 2022-05-19.
  5. Web site: Night Transport in Sofia / нощен транспорт в софия. sofiatraffic.bg . 2022-05-19.
  6. https://www.sofiatraffic.bg/en/news/3911/noshtnite-linii-s-nomera-n3