Alstom has delivered the first Traxx Passenger electric locomotive for Romania’s Railway Reform Authority (ARF), marking the start of a 16-unit programme aimed at renewing the country’s passenger fleet.
The locomotive, part of a contract signed in January 2024, is the first of a new generation of electric traction intended to modernise Romania’s ailing passenger fleet, which has an average age of between 40 and 45 years. The €150 million deal covers the supply of 16 locomotives and 20 years of maintenance, with deliveries scheduled to continue through 2026.
ARF, the Romanian Transport Ministry’s body for implementing passenger rail policy, confirmed that the first unit, designated ARF002, was delivered on 7 April at Alstom’s depot within the CFR Grivița workshops in Bucharest. The four-axle locomotive, capable of running at speeds of up to 200 km/h, is equipped with fully suspended traction motors and is capable of hauling up to 16 passenger coaches, with the unit also fitted with onboard ERTMS.
Before entering passenger service, ARF will first have to run endurance testing on the Alstom train, which includes 10,000 km of operation before the locomotive is cleared for commercial use. With those tests set to begin in the coming weeks alongside driver training, the locomotives will ultimately be operated by state passenger operator CFR Călători under Romania’s public service contracts.
Routes and deployment
ARF has indicated that the Alstom locomotives will be deployed across several of Romania’s main electrified corridors, including:
- Dej–Brașov–Bucharest–Constanța — linking Dej in northern Romania with Brașov in the centre of the country, Bucharest in the south-east, and Constanța on the Black Sea coast.
- Timișoara–Arad–Brașov–Bucharest–Constanța — running from western Romania, near the Hungarian border, through central Romania to Bucharest and onward to the Black Sea port of Constanța.
- Timișoara–Cluj-Napoca–Iași — connecting western Romania with Cluj-Napoca in the north-west and Iași in the north-east, near the border with Moldova.
- Iași/Suceava–Bucharest–Constanța — linking two major cities in north-eastern Romania to Bucharest and then to Constanța on the country’s south-eastern coast.
Funding shift to Modernisation Fund
The project was initially backed by financing under Romania’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), including coverage for long-term maintenance. ARF now says funding will instead be provided in full through the EU Modernisation Fund, with the financing contract expected to be signed in the coming period.
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