Giurgiu (Romania) and Ruse (Bulgaria), two cities located at a junction on the Danube, have extended the development of approach from a local, regional and national perspective to a new dimension which prioritizes European and international requirements.
Geographically, the Danube separates Bulgaria from Romania and Giurgiu from Ruse. The existing bridge proves the fact that there has been trade and exchange for over 50 years. In this context, the two cities have agreed on the common planning and implementation of important transport projects to increase accessibility consisting in optimal crossing points across the Danube, the method of aligning railways and roads, of developing the Danube ports on the north and south banks. The transport functions of both cities are connected to the development of maritime, railway and road transport.
In the railway segment, Bucharest – Giurgiu – Ruse line is closed to traffic after Grădiştea Bridge collapsed (transport is carried out on a bypass route); for the rehabilitation of this line and doubling the missing line sections, necessary investments amount to EUR 210 Million, the cost of the feasibility study for rehabilitation works is estimated at EUR 2.115 Million. According to CFR SA, “we have to say that Grădiştea Bridge will have an infrastructure for double line and superstructure for simple line, and the bridge across the Danube is for simple railway line”. Next to this bridge, another important point which ensures railway traffic is the bridge Giurgiu-Ruse currently undergoing rehabilitation. The study elaborated for this line stipulates three variants for the doubling of lines: for speeds of 160 km/h, for 200 km/h and 250 km/h. Calculating the value of costs for doubling the line, obtaining and arranging the land etc., the investment amounts to EUR 210 Million.
The railway infrastructure in Ruse is an important element of the transport systems outside the city. The railway line to Bucharest begins with the railway selection warehouse in Ruse and is on double railway up to the Danube. The railway infrastructure in Ruse is made of a Central Rail Station (for passengers), two railway selection warehouses, 3 loading/unloading railway warehouses and a technical railway station.
The development of economic segments, including the transport of the two cities, forms an area of regional development. To maximise the advantages and the profit of the European region Ruse-Giurgiu from the EU point of view, the priorities of EU 2014+ Cohesion Policy on potential specific opportunities have to be analysed, shows the ERGO study for Giurgiu-Ruse.
According to the ERGO Study, the new bridge across the Danube is imperative, enabling the development of the region and the implementation of the high-speed line project with positive influence, at the same time supplying rapid access to important destinations (especially to Bucharest) and an easier access to the European region Ruse-Giurgiu. Next to these programmes, the tram-train project is also mentioned, as transport lines require connections to public transport networks. The existing railways in the two cities permit the effortless development of such a system.
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