A team of the authority - formed by members of the project regarding the purchase of 37 inter-regional electric frames (RE-IR) - carried out a technical visit to the Alstom factory in Katowice (Poland) last week. This movement constitutes a contractual obligation, stipulated in the contract signed by ARF with Alstom Ferroviaria SpA, on March 25, 2022, which has as its object the purchase of 20 long-distance electric frames and their maintenance for a period of 15 years, contract supplemented with 17 more long-haul electric frames, by signing an additional act, on September 16, 2022.

The first train will arrive in the country at the Făurei Railway Testing Center in July 2023 for dynamic tests. The second electric train will arrive in August 2023 and will perform tests on the CFR lines.

After carrying out the tests of the first 2 trains, the third train will arrive in December and will be put into operation on the national railway network.

The other trains are due to enter traffic starting in 2024.

The value of the contract is RON 2,421,771,878, (EUR 484 million) without VAT. The source of financing is provided by non-reimbursable European funds.

"During this visit, representatives of the supplier Alstom presented the stage of the manufacturing of the first train. Thus, in accordance with the contractual provisions, the first train will arrive at the Făurei Railway Testing Center in July 2023, in order to carry out dynamic tests, and the second will arrive in August 2023, being mainly intended for tests on the CFR lines, after which both trains will perform the running tests in multiple units. Based on the results of these tests, train no. 3 will be delivered to ARF, so that in December 2023 it will be put into operation on the railway network in Romania", says ARF.

According to the contractual clauses, the other trains are to enter commercial traffic starting from 2024.

The maximum running speed of the electric frames is 160 km/h, they are composed of six carriages (two end carriages with driving cabins and four intermediate carriages) and provide 351 seats.

The units have an ERTMS level 1 and 2 signaling and safety system, the national PZB90 system and are equipped with air conditioning systems, wi-fi connection, spaces for bar/bistro and for travelers with disabilities, as well as an area for the automatic distribution of tickets and composting machines.

The RE-IR electric frames will connect the capital with the main urban centers of the country, but will also facilitate inter-regional connections, contributing to ensuring mobility, reducing travel times and improving the general level of public services provided for public rail transport.

The routes served by the long-distance electric trams are: Bucharest North - Constanţa, Bucharest North - Braşov - Arad - Timisoara, Bucharest North - Braşov - Cluj, Bucharest North - Braşov - Deda - Cluj, Bucharest North - Braşov, Bucharest North - Iași, Bucharest North – Suceava, Bucharest North – Galaţi, Bucharest-North – Craiova – Târgu Jiu-Petrosani – Simeria, Bucharest-North-Craiova-Timişoara-Arad, Cluj-Timişoara, Cluj-Suceava-Iaşi.