Bosphorus Express

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title: "Bosphorus Express" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["named-passenger-trains-of-turkey", "passenger-rail-transport-in-bulgaria", "passenger-rail-transport-in-romania", "international-named-passenger-trains"] description: "International passenger railway line" topic_path: "geography/turkey" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bosphorus_Express" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary International passenger railway line ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox rail service"]

Field	Value
name	Bosphorus Express
Bosfor Ekspresi
image	Bosphorus Express in Bucharest North.jpg
image_size	300px
caption	The Bosphorus Express at Bucharest North station, 16 August 2019. The first car heads towards Sofia, and the 2 couchettes head towards Istanbul.
type	InterCity
status	Operating
locale	European Turkey, eastern Bulgaria, southern Romania
operator
formeroperator	TCDD (Until 2016)
start	Halkalı station, Istanbul
stops	8
end	Gara de Nord, Bucharest
journeytime	13 hours, 29 minutes
frequency	Daily each way
trainnumber	81032, 492, 464 (westbound), 81031, 461 (eastbound)
sleeping	Private sleeping room accommodations and couchette cars
catering	Dining car
baggage	Yes
gauge
el	Istanbul to Kapıkule and Dimitrovgrad to Ruse
owners	TCDD Istanbul-Kapıkule
BDŽ Kapitan Andreevo-Ruse
CFR Giurgiu-Bucharest
map
map_state	collapsed
::

| box_width = | name = Bosphorus Express Bosfor Ekspresi | logo = | logo_width = | image = Bosphorus Express in Bucharest North.jpg | image_size = 300px | caption = The Bosphorus Express at Bucharest North station, 16 August 2019. The first car heads towards Sofia, and the 2 couchettes head towards Istanbul. | type = InterCity | status = Operating | locale = European Turkey, eastern Bulgaria, southern Romania | first = | last = | operator = | formeroperator = TCDD (Until 2016) | start = Halkalı station, Istanbul | stops = 8 | end = Gara de Nord, Bucharest | distance = | journeytime = 13 hours, 29 minutes | frequency = Daily each way | trainnumber = 81032, 492, 464 (westbound), 81031, 461 (eastbound) | class = | access = | seating = | sleeping = Private sleeping room accommodations and couchette cars | autorack = | catering = Dining car | observation = | entertainment= | baggage = Yes | otherfacilities= | stock = | gauge = | el = Istanbul to Kapıkule and Dimitrovgrad to Ruse | speed = | owners = TCDD Istanbul-Kapıkule BDŽ Kapitan Andreevo-Ruse CFR Giurgiu-Bucharest | map = | map_state = collapsed

Stock

The train is pulled by a variety of locomotives in each country. Today the train consists of three or four cars usually supplied by the three railways. There are two couchettes, either TCDD Intercity stock or CFR 40-31/44-31 stock, a single coach, either TCDD or CFR, and a CFR sleeping car. Since the train uses electrified and non-electrified track, locomotives pulling the train also change. From Istanbul, the train is pulled by an E68000 electric locomotive to Kapıkule, where a BDŽ class-07 diesel locomotive becomes the motive power. At Dimitrovgrad, Bulgaria, the BDŽ class-07 de-couples and either a BDŽ class-43 or a BDZ class-45 electric locomotive couples onto the train. At Russe, the BDŽ electric locomotive is exchanged with a Romanian class-65 diesel locomotive, which pulls the train to Bucharest.

Typical configurations

İstanbul–Kapıkule

• TCDD E68000 Locomotive
• TCDD Couchette
• TCDD Couchette

Kapıkule–Dimitrovgrad

• BDŽ Class-07 Locomotive
• TCDD Couchette
• TCDD Couchette

Dimitrovgrad–Gorna Oryahovitsa

• BDŽ Class-43 or BDŽ Class-45 Locomotive
• TCDD Couchette
• BDŽ Coach

Gorna Oryahovitsa–Russe

• BDŽ Class-43 or BDŽ Class-45 Locomotive
• CFR Couchette
• TCDD Couchette
• BDŽ Coach

Russe–Bucharest

• CFR Class-65 Locomotive
• CFR Couchette
• TCDD Couchette

Between Dimitrovgrad and Russe, one or two BDŽ Coaches are added to the train for domestic travel.

Route

The journey starts at in the suburb of Marmaray, 27 km from Istanbul's Sirkeci Terminal. After passing through Edirne it arrives at the town of Kapıkule on the Turkish-Bulgarian border. The electric locomotive disconnects and is replaced with a diesel locomotive. Passengers need to disembark and cross the rail tracks to clear passport control. After the city of Gorna Oryahovitsa, the train arrives at the city of Ruse on the Danube river. A diesel locomotive once again takes over, and it crosses the Danube via the Danube Bridge and into the Romanian town of Giurgiu, stopping at the Giurgiu North Railway Station. Then it continues north to Bucharest. After circling the city, the train enters from the northwest into Bucharest North railway station.

Gallery

Bosphorus Express at Sirkeci.JPG|The Bosphorus Express at Sirkeci Terminal. Bosphorus Express at Bucharest.jpg|The Bosphorus Express waiting to depart Bucharest. Bosphorus Express, 2007.JPG|The old destination board on a TCDD couchette car.

References

References

1. Rogers, Dayla. (2011-10-29). "“The Bosphorus Express” or “What I learned after spending the night shaped like a question mark” {{!}} Istanbul to Budapest -".
2. Allen, Robert. (2003-04-12). "To the banks of the Bosphorus". The Guardian.
3. "Uluslararası Trenler".
4. (2018-10-14). "Bosphor Express (Bucharest Istanbul train)".
5. "Bosphorus Express".
6. "Night train Istanbul - Bucharest D 81032/492/464/460/462/1094 Bosphorus Express (Bosfor)".

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