Sofia on the road to Constantinople
The idea of a railway from central Europe across the Balkans to Constantinople was an old one. The line had to cross territories under different governments, with different gauges, regulations and interests, and the final link was agreed only after long negotiations in the 1880s. The Ottoman company that operated the eastern part, the Oriental Railways, was owned by foreign investors, which meant that the question was political as well as technical.
For Bulgaria, which had become an autonomous principality in 1878, the through route meant a great deal. Sofia, a small town at the time, was on the direct line between Belgrade and Constantinople, and the railway linked it for the first time to the great cities of Europe. By 1888–89 the connection was complete, and trains could run through without a change.
A railway of many hands
The railway brought customs posts, passport controls and timetables in several languages. The same carriages passed from one company's track to another, and stations at the borders became places where engines and crews were changed. Sofia Central Station, rebuilt in the 1970s, still stands on this historic route and still carries international as well as domestic services.