Night train route
Bosfor Express
Istanbul → Sofia · Türkiye · Bulgaria
The overnight heir to the Orient Express, crossing the Thracian plain from Istanbul over the Bulgarian border to Sofia as the berths are made up.
How this line was checked
- Checked against OpenStreetMap: 97.3% of this line lies within 250 m of real track (median 4 m); the longest stretch away from it is 9 km
- Checked against the running timetable via ÖBB Scotty: our line sits under 100 m from the shape of train 12503
- Wikipedia has an article for this line
Questions and answers
How long is the Bosfor Express?
The Bosfor Express runs 585 km from Istanbul to Sofia. It runs through Türkiye and Bulgaria.
How long does the Bosfor Express take?
The fastest scheduled journey is 12 h for the 585 km. That is an average of 49 km/h end to end. The line's top service speed is 100 km/h.
Who runs the Bosfor Express?
TCDD and BDŽ, with TCDD & BDŽ sleeping cars.
How old is the Bosfor Express?
The line has been in service since 1888. That is the year the atlas dates it from: for a modern brand running over an older railway, it is the railway's date, not the brand's.
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