"INGSTROYENGINEERING" EOOD is currently one of the participants in the construction of the large-scale Project "Modernization of the Sofia - Plovdiv railway line: railway sections Sofia - Elin Pelin and Elin Pelin - Septemvri", which is part of the Sofia - Plovdiv - Burgas direction along the Orient/Eastern - Mediterranean corridor of the Core Network of Corridors, defined in accordance with Regulation (EU) No. 1315/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 on Union guidelines for the development of the Trans-European Transport Network. This Regulation (EU) defines the new policy for the development of the European Transport Infrastructure, providing for the structuring of the network at two levels:

• Core network, which includes the most important transport links and nodes for the EU and which should be implemented by 2030. The majority of European funding is concentrated in the core network. The Sofia-Plovdiv railway line is part of the TEN-T Core Network;

• A wide-ranging network that provides full coverage of the EU territory and access to all regions and should be completed by 2050.

"INGSTROYENGINEERING" EOOD as a Partner in DZZD "EUROPAT" - CONTRACTOR of Contract No. 11155 for "Modernization of the railway section Elin Pelin - Kostenets, Lot 2: "Modernization of the railway section from km 42+200 to km 62+400" with CONTRACTOR SE NRIC, is currently performing construction activities in Section 2 from km 53+400.00 to km 55+409.53 of this Lot 2, the Station Site related to the new Lower and Upper Railway Structure and Track Development in the area of Railway Station, Architectural and Construction Construction and Civil Engineering for new and existing Buildings (incl. Reception Building), new engineering and station facilities in the area, electrification of the Road through complete renewal of the Contact Network in Section 2, electrical installation works for the electrical and electrocommunication systems, as well as the implementation of modern facilities and installations of the station Signaling, Security Equipment, Telecommunications and Dispatching Centralization.

With the complete implementation of the Project, one of the most problematic sections of the pan-European railway network in Southeast Europe, located on the most direct connection between Western and Central Europe with the Middle East and Asia, will be solved. It will create an opportunity for a quality railway connection of the cities of Ankara, Istanbul and Sofia with the other member states of the European Union (EU). The Sofia - Plovdiv railway line is also among the most important railway connections in the country with important regional economic and strategic importance, as a line connecting some of the largest industrial centers - Sofia with Plovdiv, Burgas, Stara Zagora and the entire southeastern Bulgaria.

After the implementation of the project, the speeds in the Elin Pelin - Kostenets section, incl. the Section from km 42+200 to km 62+400 under the Subject of Contract No. 11155, will be as follows: 160 km/h for "fast" and "passenger" trains and 120 km/h for "freight" trains.

The general objectives of the Project for "Modernization of the Elin Pelin - Kostenets Railway Section" which are guaranteed to be achieved upon introduction into regular operation, are:

• Integration of the National Transport Network with the European Transport Network. The railway line will be modernized in accordance with the full requirements for interoperability of the infrastructure, facilities, rolling stock, control, operation and safety systems in accordance with the requirements of Directive 2008/57/EC;

• Ensuring interoperability of the railway infrastructure and continuity of traffic flows along the Orient/Eastern Mediterranean corridor, in accordance with the requirements for the railway infrastructure of Regulation (EU) No. 1315/2013 on the Core Network of Rail Transport Infrastructure Corridors and European policies for sustainable transport;

• Creating conditions for increasing the volume of freight transported on the line, as a result of improved line characteristics in terms of speed (maximum speed 160 km/h for passenger traffic and 120 km/h for freight traffic), travel time, throughput and service reliability;

• Redirecting freight from road to rail transport, which will lead to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, i.e. the negative impact of transport as a whole on the environment will be reduced;

The implementation of the Investment Project of SE NRIC for "Modernization of the Elin Pelin - Kostenets railway section" will contribute to achieving better conditions for the transportation of passengers and freight, fulfilling the commitments undertaken by the Republic of Bulgaria for the development of the railway infrastructure and reaching European standards in accordance with the EU policy for the development of the Trans-European Transport Networks.