„The Romanian Ministry of Transport has absorbed European funds of EUR 895 million plus financing contracts or addendums of RON 570 million and has been granted agreement from European financers to over-contract infrastructure works of up to 300% for the transport axes of the Operational Programme Large Infrastructure 2014-2020”, declared Romanian Minister of Transport, Lucian Sova, on 2 August during a press conference on the ministry’s balance sheet for the first six months of 2018.
“Expenditures of EUR 895 million have been authorised. There are financing contracts or addendums worth another RON 570 million, while the ongoing projects amount to EUR 11 billion, a value which exceeds twice the sum we have from the European Commission for this financial exercise”, pointed out Lucian Sova.
“We want to launch execution for as many contracted projects as possible and to actually complete what we plan to build. On the other hand, this rate of absorption has a special significance not just from the financing perspective, but also because it will have positive effects on the state budget”, explained the Minister.
For the railway infrastructure sector, the projects approved by the European Commission includes the rehabilitation of Border Curtici-Simeria railway for the traffic of trains of up to 160 km/h, between km 614 and Simeria.
According to estimates, works on the four subsections will be ready in 2020:
– Simeria – Gurasada 41 km
– Gurasada – Ilteu 22 km
– Ilteu – Barzava 34 km
– Barzava – km 614 42 km
According to the balance sheet for the first six months of the year, CFR SA has managed to open 6 km of new railway on Sighisoara-Coslariu section which also included the longest railway tunnel built in Romania after 1989 with European funds. It is the 969-m long Danes Tunnel.
Reception will be carried out this year for 144 km of modernised railway between Sighisoara-Coslariu and Coslariu-Simeria. The section will enable the traffic of passenger trains at speeds of 160 km/h and 120 km/h for freight trains.
Moreover, CFR SA carried out works funded by the company to eliminate 192 speed restrictions. Works to Danube bridges Cernavoda and Borcea are expected to be completed. Also, a new public information system was installed in Gara de Nord and Mogosoaia Bridge has been modernised and placed into service.
The winner of the tender for the modernisation of railway subsections Brasov – Apata and Cata – Sighisoara was also selected in the first half of the year. The contract amounts to RON 3.14 billion (EUR 678.5 million).
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