The 31st of October 1880 marked the establishment of the Romanian Army’s Railway Company, thus honouring the bound between the railway and the military activities, a bound which has strongly influenced the development of railways in Romania, just like in the other European countries. Stimulating the construction of new railway lines, the strategic interest which stood behind the development of most railway networks in Europe and Asia has positively influenced both the railway sector, by accelerating the railway construction rhythm, and the military activity through their military forces which took over the rigour, accuracy and punctuality which defined railway transport. In Romania, the first complex railway systems, especially signalling and communication, are the result of the railway soldiers’ work who have significantly influenced the development of a viable and systematized transport system, integrated to the country’s interests of social and economic development. The decree of October 31, 1880 established the responsibilities of the Romanian Army’s Railway Company (CCFAR) and especially its double subordination: the civil responsibilities of the company were managed by CFR’s General Directorate, while the company’s military responsibilities were controlled, in peace time, by the Technical Engineering Inspectorate, and in wartime by the General Staff (Romanian Ministry of National Defence).
CCFAR’s main attributions were the construction, maintenance and repair of railways, as well as the deployment of military transports. The command and specialized polygon point was the barrack at Cotroceni, called Cuza Voda” in honour of ruler Alexandru Ioan Cuza who set the foundation stone of Romania’s modernisation era. At the end of the 19th century, railway and transport military divisions were introduced as mandatory disciplines for the Artillery and Engineering officers of the Superior War School. The first Railway Battalion of the Romanian Army was established in 1887. It was dislocated at Focsani garrison. The Romanian Army’s Railway Company (CCFAR) has participated in the construction of all important lines on the Romanian network and became famous during the World Wars. In the new geopolitics and military context, the new railway structures within the Romanian Army have varied their activity, although they stopped acting independently once Romania acceded NATO. Romanian soldiers are now responsible for maintaining the peace in the world, rebuilding the transport infrastructure in countries affected by war, such as Afghanistan, Iraq etc. For the celebration of 100 since the establishment of the CCFAR, the Brigadier General Adrian Petruc evoked the role played by the railway soldiers in the Romanian Army, hoping “the winged wheel will carry on its 100-year flight in the future, while its knights are still hoping it will retrace its place back to the complex defence system”.
Strategic interest dictated several development directions for railways in Europe and Asia
The development process of modern railway network, which includes traffic organisation and monitoring systems, as well as passenger security operations, reiterates the history of railway soldiers, a branch of a country’s defence system according to which the transport system was subordinated to the country’s defence system. Railway systematization, which triggered the active participation of armies with long-standing railway tradition, has influenced the railway transport organisation and has imposed the standardisation of railway infrastructure construction and even rolling stock. The country’s defence strategies have also included different solutions provided by the railways, among which the railway transport of soldiers, war materials or raw materials necessary to the defence effort, the evacuation of civilians from conflict areas, the transport of prisoners and arms confiscated from enemies etc. Ever since the beginning, the railways have been considered vital targets during wars. They could provide a strategic, even decisive advantage, in inclining the balance in favour of one army or another once they were conquered or controlled. In peace time or after the end of hostilities, railway construction was seen as an essential method of restoring the stability in the area and imposing an independent development system, in case of national theme or expansion conflicts. Adopting one type of gauge has also had strategic motivations. A relevant example is the strong influence exerted by Spanish authorities in selecting the broad gauge for the future railway network.
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