Romania: EC approves new financing for a section of Rail Corridor IV

The Cohesion Fund will support with EUR 1.3 billion the modernisation of a section of the rail corridor that links Curtici, at the frontier between Romania and Hungary, to Constanta, at the Black Sea. Works will significantly focus on increasing the traffic speed and safety on the section between Km 614 and Simeria town by rehabilitating and upgrading 13 rail stations of this section, improving the signalling and information of passengers and building necessary auxiliary infrastructure, such as bridges and tunnels.

“Each cent of the EU budget invested in railways increases the territorial connection and economic competitiveness of Romania, improves its connection with Hungary and the rest of Europe and ensures eco-friendly, rapid and safe mobility. This is a project with a EU financing of 65% and an added value of 100%”, said the European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Crețu.

In November 2017, the Romanian Ministry of Transport signed the financing demand for the rehabilitation of Frontiera Curtici-Simeria railway, for the traffic of trains at a maximum speed of 160 km / h, between Km 614 and Simeria. The total cost of the project is RON 9.52 billion and will be financed through the Operational Programme Large Infrastructure 2014-2020, as follows: 65% of the total approved eligible cost, RON 6 billion, will come from the Cohesion Fund, while the rest of the financing of RON 3.51 billion will be ensured from the state budget.

On 31 August 2017, CFR SA and FCC – Astaldi – Convensa consortium signed the contract for the rehabilitation of section 3 of Gurasada-Simeria.

Also, on 17 February 2017, Astaldi SPA- FCC Construccion-Salcelf Construzioni Edili e Ferroviare SPA- SC Thales Systems Romania consortium was awarded the contract for the rehabilitation of section 2, Km 614-Gurasada.

The finalisation deadline of Km 614 – Simeria section is March 2023.

The main objective of the financing demand is the modernisation of 141 km of railway on Radna – Gurasada –Simeria section in order to increase the maximum operating speed to 160 km/h for passenger trains and to 120 km/h for freight trains and, therefore, to reduce the travel time between Simeria and Arad from 146 minutes to 74 minutes.

Curtici – Constanța rail link (in Romania from west to east) is part of the Orient-East-Med and Rhine-Danube corridors on the TEN-T network. Several sections of this network were or are financed through other European financial instruments, such as the Connecting Europe Facility or the European Investment Bank (EIB).

More details about these projects as well as details about future projects and tenders developed by CFR SA will be available at Club Feroviar Rail Infrastructure Conference in Alba Iulia.