Sofia Metro Line M3 (Gorna Banya – Levski)
The green line, Sofia's third metro diameter, linking Ovcha Kupel and Gorna Banya in the south-west with the city centre and the Hadzhi Dimitar and Levski estates in the north-east. Unlike the older lines it uses 1,500 V overhead catenary and driverless Siemens trains behind platform screen doors. The 7.8 km central stage with eight stations opened on 26 August 2020 and a 3.8 km western stage with four stations followed on 24 April 2021, at a combined cost of about €500 million with EU grants covering roughly four fifths. A 3 km, three-station extension under Gen. Vladimir Vazov Blvd to the Levski estate, built from March 2022 with Recovery and Resilience Facility money, is complete and due to carry passengers from 14 August 2026. A six-station branch through Slatina, numbered M6, splits east of Orlov Most and is still under construction.
- Total length
- 15 km
- Open today
- 12 km
- Under construction
- 3 km
- Sections
- 3
- Cost on record
- €640.408M
- 2 of 3 sections carry a comparable figure
Restated into EUR at 2025 prices.
Sections
| Sections | Status | Length | Timeline | Cost | Funding | Contractors | Contract terms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stage 1: Vladimir Vazov Blvd – city centre – Zhitnitsa St (Hadzhi Dimitar – Krasno Selo) First stage of line 3: 7.8 km and eight stations from Hadzhi Dimitar via Orlov Most and the National Palace of Culture to Krasno Selo, built 2016–2020 at €398.2 million excluding VAT, including the depot and 20 trains. Opened 26 August 2020 | Opened | 8 km |
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| Contract value €398.2M |
| Stage 2: Zhitnitsa St – Ovcha Kupel – Ring Road (Krasno Selo – Gorna Banya) Second stage of line 3: 3.8 km and four stations (Ovcha Kupel, Moesia, Ovcha Kupel II, Gorna Banya) with an interchange to the national railway, started 30 May 2017 at €101.9 million excluding VAT and opened 24 April 2021 | Opened | 4 km |
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| – | Contract value €101.9M |
| Stage 3: Hadzhi Dimitar – Levski (Gen. Vladimir Vazov Blvd) Lot 1 of the line 3 extension: 3 km and three stations (Georgi Asparuhov Stadium, Vitinya and Gen. Vladimir Vazov) under Gen. Vladimir Vazov Blvd, with a 100-space park-and-ride. Works began at the end of March 2022; Metropoliten announced that the section would carry passengers from noon on Friday 14 August 2026. No construction cost has been published for this lot | Under construction | 3 km |
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| – | – |
Contractor roles are as recorded in the award. Only builders count toward the delivery rankings.
Funding
- European Union15 km3 sections
- Grant of €321.8 million from OP Transport and Transport Infrastructure 2014–2020
- Grant of €68.5 million from OP Transport and Transport Infrastructure 2014–2020
- Bulgaria's Recovery and Resilience Plan, Transport Connectivity pillar
- National budget12 km2 sections
- Sofia Municipality co-financing of €76.4 million
- Sofia Municipality co-financing of €33.4 million
A section that lists two sources counts its full length under each: the data records which sources paid, not what share each one carried.
Related projects
Sources
- Wikipedia: Sofia Metro
- Metropoliten Sofia: Line 3 of Sofia Metro
- Metropoliten Sofia: Project for the extension of metro line 3
- Railway Gazette International: Third line of Sofia metro opened
- Dir.bg: Opening date announced for the three new Sofia metro stations
- BTA: New Section of Sofia Metro Line 3 to Open on Friday
- OpenStreetMap contributors (geometry, ODbL)