Romania’s CFR has signed a contract with the Alstom-led TrackWorks consortium to modernise 44 km between Filiași and Igiroasa for faster passenger and freight operations.

Romania’s CFR Signs 44 km Rail Upgrade with Alstom
From left to right: Ion Simu-Alexandru, Chief Executive of the National Railway Company CFR SA, and Serban Iorga, Alstom’s Managing Director for Romania, Bulgaria and the Republic of Moldova. Photo: Alstom

Lot 2 extends from kilometre 286+735 to kilometre 331+000 and forms part of the wider Craiova–Drobeta Turnu Severin–Caransebeș rehabilitation programme on the TEN-T Orient/East-Med corridor.

According to Alstom’s official announcement⁠, the project has a 60-month implementation period and will introduce ERTMS Level 2 signalling, GSM-R railway communications and modernised 25 kV electrification. Alstom will supply the signalling and power systems, while Terna will manage the civil works. 

A 1.8 billion lei contract with 48 months of construction

CFR valued the signed contract at 1,800,131,764.37 Romanian lei before VAT. The delivery programme includes 12 months for design and 48 months for construction, corresponding to the 60-month implementation period announced by Alstom.

The wider contractual schedule also includes a 120-month warranty period and three months of activities after final acceptance, bringing the complete administrative term to 183 months. Funding is expected from Romania’s 2021–2027 Transport Programme, the state budget and other legally established sources.

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ERTMS, new electrification and higher operating speeds

Once the modernisation is completed, passenger trains will be able to operate at speeds of up to 160 km/h, while freight trains will reach up to 120 km/h. The infrastructure will support axle loads of 22.5 tonnes and freight trains up to 740 metres long.

The project also provides for upgraded station tracks, 400-metre high platforms, improvements for passengers with reduced mobility and work on existing station structures. Noise barriers or alternative noise-reduction measures are also included.

ERTMS Level 2 will replace or supplement conventional trackside signalling with continuous digital supervision and information transmitted to the train cab. Together with GSM-R communications and new electronic interlocking equipment, the system is intended to improve interoperability and traffic management across the upgraded section. 

TrackWorks is also responsible for Lot 1 between Craiova and Filiași. GEK TERNA’s project announcement⁠ places the two adjoining sections at approximately 83 km in total, extending the modernisation programme from Craiova to Igiroasa.

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