On September 3, 2026, an Information Day was held at the Todor Kableshkov University of Transport (VTU) for the NEXUS project “Next-gen technologies for enhanced metro operations“, funded under the HORIZON-JU-ER-2023-01 program.
The event was attended by the senior management of VTU, represented by the Rector and Vice-Rectors, as well as faculty members and experts from various departments, colleagues from the Technical University of Sofia, and representatives of Metropolitane EAD and the Sofia Municipality
The research team from VTU participating in the project presented the goals and objectives to be addressed during its implementation. These efforts aim to enhance the metro’s adaptability to fluctuations in passenger demand and are fully tailored to the evolving needs of commuters. The completed activities and developments were presented, and the attendees were introduced in more detail to the work packages related to:
- passenger surveys regarding the implementation and adoption of new technologies;
- simulation models assessing the impact of Grade of Automation 4 (GoA4) fully automated metro operations;
- optimization tools to support metro operators;
- artificial intelligence-based demand forecasting applications;
- operational optimization solutions;
- vehicle condition monitoring technologies.
Although the project is entering its final phase, the research team expressed confidence that the results, analyses, and applied scientific models will make a tangible contribution to optimizing the operations of the Sofia Metro and other European subway systems, thereby elevating the quality of passenger service.
Information about the project can be found at https://nexus-heproject.eu/
