The tender papers for public procurement order for the technical preparation of the project for the third subway axis in Sofia are under preparation. The goal is in 2012 to be submitted a proposal by the programmes of the European Union, informed Stoyan Bratoev, executive director of Metropoliten EAD, Sofia subway operator.

The tender is to be launced in Jan.-Feb. 2010, the company that is to be awarded the contract is to prepare the complex investigations of the variants of the subway axis route - transportation, operationa, technical and economic that are needed for preparation of the project application for the programme period for the operational programmes after 2013.

According to the master plan of Sofia subway development the third subway axis comprises the line southwest - northeast, i.e. Kniazhevo neighbourhood - downtown - Poduyane neighbourhood - Vasil Levski neighbourhood.

The design length is 19 km and 23 subway stations.

The transfer and connections with the other two subway axes is in downtown zone. The closest place between first and third axes is in Tsar Osvoboditel blvd. and Vasil Levski blvd. with Sofia University station of first axis, and second and third axes - next to Vitosha blvd.

The forecasts are for 16,000 passengers in the peak hours, the plans are for the so-called S-bahn.