Night train Istanbul to Sofia + new EES biometric system

The EES is one thing but just passport control is another. The last time I did a night train from outside the EU ot inside the EU passports were checked at the border at about 5am if I remember correctly. If its 3am i presume the same. But maybe we both learn on this question.....

I know that, before EES, you have always had to get off the train at the Turkish Border around 0400 westbound or 0200 eastbound (eastbound with your luggage, westbound leave luggage on the train) and walk through Turkish immigration/emigration.
The train then pulls forward for around 20 minutes to the Bulgarian border at Svilengrad (where the clocks change) where the Border Police used to board the train. According to the Man at Seat 61- https://www.seat61.com/trains-and-routes/bucharest-and-sofia-to-istanbul-by-train.htm
the Border Police will now escort you off the train at about 0350 local time to do EES at a kiosk on the platform.

So all in all you have about an hour in the middle of the night for two border checks, both off the train.

It is also now apparently possible (as of this month, February 2026) to buy westbound tickets, in English, online from TCDD (Turkish Railways)- ebilet.tcddtasimacilik.gov.tr.

Thank you both so much! And wow what a news point, now possible the buy the international tickets online.
Or theoretically possible. Presently I'm midway and it's giving me a hard time with seat/cabin selection. There was no simple option that I saw for a single in a sleeper cabin. I'm trying to buy two tickets and things are looking weird, getting blue and pink, (Maybe a marriage certificate is needed?)

Anyway very grateful

Edit: Thrilling update -- got through seat selection, but my credit card was declined. Usually I don't have trouble with that. I called the credit card company and they said they would let it go through on their end, but the larger company might still refuse it. Anyway, no dice, after trying again. It was very exciting for a bit though ...

Sounds like fun. I drove from Sofia to Istanbul some years ago. There border station was "interesting".

Out of interest here is a new video (out today) showing this train journey- which conflicts with The Man in Seat 61 about the border process. This shows that it is one, not two, processes- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhGnBrXlmbQ

Its been a few years, but when I drove across the border I hsve no memory of processing out of Bulgaria, just processing into Turkey.

Thank you both... And after trying about a week or two laters, the online tickets worked! Inshallah. I'll really know they worked when I get on the train. Safe travels :)