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| Rail network of Romania | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | |||||
| Operation | |||||
| National railway | Căile Ferate Române (until 1998) | ||||
| Statistics | |||||
| Passenger km | 5,978 km (3,715 mi) (in 2023)[2] | ||||
| System length | |||||
| Total | 10,777 km (6,697 mi)[3] | ||||
| Electrified | 4,029 km (2,504 mi)[3] | ||||
| Track gauge | |||||
| Main | 1,435 mm / 4 ft 8+1⁄2 instandard gauge | ||||
| Electrification | |||||
| Main | 25 kV AC | ||||
| Features | |||||
| No. tunnels | nearly 200[4] | ||||
| No. bridges | ca. 6800[4] | ||||
| No. stations | over 1000[4] | ||||
| |||||
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Rail transport in Romania goes back to theAustrian Empire, when in 1857 the line betweenTimișoara andSzeged (now Hungary) opened. The first railway line on territory of theKingdom of Romania opened in 1869. It linkedBucharest andGiurgiu.Electrification of theRomanian railway network was expedited during the 1950s and 1960s while the country was under a communist regime.
In 2007, based on data from 2005, theCIA World Factbook listed Romania 23rd of the largest railway networks in the world.[5] As of 2009,[update] the length of the Romanian railway network was 10,788 km (6,703 mi).[6] The total length of all tracks was 22,250 km (13,830 mi), which made it the fourth largest inEurope,[7] of which 8,585 km (5,334 mi) (38.5%) were electrified.[citation needed] As of 2014,[update] the total route length was 10,777 km (6,697 mi), of which 4,029 km (2,504 mi) (37.4%) wereelectrified.[3] However, Romania's railway system is inadequately-connected and one of the least durable railway systems globally.[4][8][9][10]
Between 1880 and 1998, the national carrier wasCăile Ferate Române (CFR). It was divided into several successor companies, including among othersCFR Marfă (freight operations). Current passenger train operators includeGrup Feroviar Român (GFR),Regio Călători (formerly Regiotrans) andTransferoviar Grup (TFG).
Push-pull operations on the electrified standard gauge lines are often carried out using locomotives of theElectroputere LE5100 family (orCFR Class 47).DMUs include theX 4500 andX 72500 (both exSNCF) andCFR Class 96. Previously operatingEMUs included theCFR Class TEA.
Romania is a member of theInternational Union of Railways (UIC). TheUIC Country Code for Romania is 53.
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Although passenger railway services are not a statemonopoly in Romania,CFR remains the only passenger carrier operating at a national level. However, after the reorganization of CFR in 2011, around 15% of Romanian railway tracks have been leased to private companies. These are known as "non-interoperable tracks" (linii neinteroperabile). The main operators are: S.C. Regional S.R.L., S.C.Transferoviar Grup S.A., S.C.Regio Călători S.R.L., and S.C. Servtransinvest S.A., which now operate a significant number (especially Regio Călători) of routes. Early transfers to these companies includedZărnești–Brașov, Brașov–Întorsura Buzăului,Sfântu Gheorghe–Brețcu,Sighișoara–Odorheiu Secuiesc,Șibot–Cugir,Blaj–Praid,Galați–Bârlad,Buzău–Nehoiașu,Iași–Dorohoi,Timișoara Nord–Nerău,Satu Mare–Bixad,Arad–Nădlac,Bistrița Bârgăului–Bistrița Nord–Luduș,Arad–Brad,Roșiori Nord–Piatra Olt and many others lines. On these lines, CFR is not allowed to operate its trains—companies which have leased the tracks have a virtual monopoly on their usage. Aside from CFR Călători, twelve other companies provide local passenger services, on non-interoperable tracks, even though none of these services exceed 40 km (25 mi) in line length. Twenty-eight private companies, including Petromidia and Servtrans, operate freight transport services on main lines with their ownrolling stock, leasing usage rights from CFR.
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September 2014 saw the publication of the government reportMaster Plan General de Transport al României.
On the face of it the lengthy report envisages reduction of passenger services on 25% to 40% of the lines. The 'small print' reveals however that closures will not happen overnight or even over the next few years (there is no closure schedule in the report); and closures will only occur if private operators or local authority/perhaps EU financial support cannot be obtained. In addition the report has costed major improvements to the long-distance network considerably to reduce journey times. These projects include recommencing work on the abandoned construction (90% completed in the 1990s) of the 39 km (24 mi) link line fromRâmnicu Vâlcea toVâlcele which will reduce the journey from Bucharest to Sibiu by some 78 km and journey times by at least 90 minutes.
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The network used to be operated byCăile Ferate Române, the state railway company, but since 1998, a number of private companies have begun operations in passenger and/or freight transport.
CFR's rail freight division becameCFR Marfă.
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Hungary – Multiple crossings (from North to South -Carei,Valea lui Mihai,Episcopia Bihor,Salonta,Curtici. Multiple daily passenger frequencies toBudapest and beyond (only toGyőr,Mosonmagyaróvár,Hegyeshalom, andVienna for the moment)[citation needed] fromBucharest and from many cities withinTransylvania. Both networks electrified at25kV, 50HzAC (only electrified crossing atCurtici/Lokoshaza).
Serbia – crossings atJimbolia andStamora Moravița. As of March 2020, no passenger rail transport fromBucharest toBelgrade viaTimișoara andVršac. No electrified crossings.
Bulgaria – crossings atCalafat,Giurgiu andNegru Vodă. Daily passenger service toSofia and beyond (Athens andIstanbul) from Bucharest. No voltage issues (currently no electrified crossings, Calafat-Vidin crossing electrification is planned, same voltage,25kV, 50HzAC.
Ukraine – Dual gauge crossing atHalmeu. Crossing not electrified. Currently freight only. Dual gauge line enables standard gauge connections withHungary andSlovakia throughChop.Ukraine – Break-of-gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)/1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in). Crossings atVicșani,Valea Vișeului andCâmpulung la Tisa (includingbogie conversion systems).Dual gauge (4 rail) track exists between Tereseva (Ukraine)/Câmpulung la Tisa –Sighetu Marmației – Valea Vișeului, going back intoUkraine. Ukrainian trains (both freight and passenger services) occasionally use this route without stopping within Romania. International passenger services exists betweenBucharest andKyiv (and onwards toMoscow) via Vicșani (operated by CFR, withUZ andRZD cars) and between Sighetu Marmației andTeresva (operated byUZ). Crossings are not electrified.
Moldova – Break-of-gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in)/1,520 mm (4 ft 11+27⁄32 in). Crossings andbogie changers exist atUngheni (Moldova) andGalați-Reni. Crossings not electrified, as the Moldovan Railways network has Diesel traction only. Daily passenger service toChișinău from Bucharest. Multiple daily services fromIași.Urban rail transport in Romania consists of twometro systems and towntramway systems.
