The National Railway Infrastructure Company of Bulgaria and the World Bank have signed a Reimbursable Advisory Services (RAS) Agreement aimed at enhancing the financial sustainability, operational efficiency, and governance of Bulgaria’s railway infrastructure. This partnership represents a major step toward modernizing the rail sector and supporting the country’s broader economic and employment goals.
Under the agreement, the World Bank will provide guidance to NRIC on international best practices in railway governance and financial sustainability. The advisory support will also focus on modernizing the workforce through skills optimization, reskilling, and upskilling programs to better meet current and future operational needs, ultimately contributing to long-term financial stability.
Jason Brett Pellmar, World Bank Group Country Manager for Bulgaria, emphasized that modern, efficient, and well-governed railway infrastructure is essential for Bulgaria’s economic growth and competitiveness. He noted that the partnership will improve service quality, operational performance, and directly support Bulgaria’s jobs agenda by fostering new skills, facilitating workforce transitions, and creating sustainable employment opportunities in the rail sector.
World Bank Reimbursable Advisory Services are non-lending programs in which technical advice, analytical services, and implementation support are provided to clients, mainly in middle- and high-income countries, with clients reimbursing the associated costs. These programs are designed to assist with the design, planning, and execution of complex reforms and are adaptable to country-specific needs. They can include policy advice, analytical work, donor coordination, impact evaluation, program implementation support, training, knowledge sharing, and peer learning.
