Starting from April 30, Bulgarian State Railways (BDZ) passengers travelling in sleeping or couchette carriages will have to pay for extra luggage that exceeds the 30 kg limit.

BDZ has introduced new technology to register and control personal luggage transportation in sleeping or couchette train carriages, the company said in a media statement on April 26. This is one of the measures introduced by BDZ to increase safety and minimise risks to passengers.

Every passenger travelling in sleeping or couchette carriage can have up to 30 kg of hand luggage, consisting of not more than three pieces, for which the clients do not have to pay a surcharge.

BDZ has now introduced an additional service called "transport of a luggage shipment" for passengers with luggage exceeding this limit. This is available at train stations in Sofia, Plovdiv, Rousse, Varna, Bourgas, Turgovishte, Shoumen, Dobrich, Pazardjik and General Toshevo. As far as night services are concerned, the service is only available on trains travelling between Sofia and Varna, Sofia and Kardam, Sofia and Rousse, Sofia and Bourgas, and between Plovdiv and Varna.

The price is determined for each individual item of luggage irrespective of its weight, size or travel destination. Luggage shipment of one or two items costs two leva a piece, three or four separate items costs 1.50 leva a piece and five or more is also two leva a piece.

The client has to give the shipment to the luggage office at the departing train station at least one hour before the journey begins. Passengers must also complete a bill of landing stating the luggage shipment's value and content. The office then places an individual sticker with a number on each item of baggage.

BDZ has also introduced a ticket for charging the luggage shipments. The passenger retains one copy of the ticket and must hand it to the luggage office on arrival, together with his ID, and then sign the bill of landing.

BDZ has also said it bears responsibility in case of full or partial loss of, or damage to, luggage that is transported by BDZ but is not travelling with the passenger. If luggage is lost it would compensate the passenger with the full amount declared on the landing bill. If some of the luggage is missing, BDZ will compensate an amount in proportion to the missing items.

After the incident on the Sofia-Kardam train on February 28, BDZ is trying to regulate smoking on trains. Smoking is currently banned, although not strictly supervised. On April 26 the company once again reminded its passengers that transporting explosive, inflammable, self-inflammable, poisonous, corrosive, radioactive and other similar substances in BDZ trains is strictly forbidden.