Port of Constanța to be receive EUR 1 bln makeover of railway infrastructure

The railway infrastructure in Romania's port of Constanța is set to be modernized through a EUR 1 bln investment project financed by the EU.

The funds, RON 5.3 bln (some EUR 1 bln), come from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) for the modernization of train lines. The project includes the electrification of all lines in the port and the introduction of a centralized electronic signaling system that will better manage the incoming shipping lanes of the port.

The amount of funding was set in September 2022 and can be supplemented depending on the subsequent evolution of the prices of construction materials, according to Economedia.ro. The modernization works have a 4-year deadline.

Transport minister Sorin Grindeanu recently announced during a press conference that as much as EUR 800 mln from the European Transport Programs CEF and POT can be invested in the port railway system. He also said that the first 35 of the 99 lines included in the Repair Program are almost complete.

There are roughly 300 km of railway in the port of Constanța, of which the national railway company manages 180 km. There are also 367 train lines in total, 45 of which are operated by private companies. However, a quarter of the port’s lines are closed, and another quarter has speeding restrictions that limit trains to 5 km/h.

"The main objective of this investment, a public utility restoration project of national interest, is to optimize the railway activity in the Port of Constanța by increasing the performance of the transport system, respectively the port's accessibility. This is vital for taking over the cargo flows and transferring them from the sea transport mode to the land transport mode,” the project says.

The project also includes the restoration of road infrastructure in the port and the replacement of bridges that are no longer up to existing standards. A crossing bridge will also be built, increasing the transport capacity in the port. Furthermore, all existing telecommunications facilities will be replaced with state-of-the-art, modern equipment.

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