Bulgarian state rail company BDZ has revealed another strategy for boosting business and helping passengers during the summer, Bulgarian media reported on June 3 2010.

BDZ chief executive Pencho Popov said that the company is contemplating slashing prices by as much as a third. The company is planning to cut prices for all reserved tickets for express trains serving destinations between Sofia and Black Sea ports, Bourgas and Varna, the report said.

Additionally, families with two or more children, aged 18 or younger, will be able to obtain second-class tickets at half price for all fast and express trains, Popov said. The only stipulation is that there must be at least two children and one parent and they must purchase a "Semeistrovo Railway card", or a "family railway card" which costs only one lev, Focus said.

This card itself is valid for one calendar year, or until one of the children turns 18.

Finally, in another bid to maintain its competitive edge, BDZ is mulling introducing "group tickets" for between three to six passengers, with a 15 per cent discount off the regular price.

As part of its "summer 2010" campaign, BDZ will also boost capacity to cope with increased traffic to and from Bourgas and Varna. Popov made the announcement about the increase in carriages to Focus news agency. Extra carriages will be attached to the trains servicing the Sofia-Varna line starting mid-June, as well as international trains servicing Belgrade and Skopje.

Simultaneously, the international "Nessebar" and "Cherno More" trains will also have their capacity increased.