Romania switches to daylight saving time this weekend as clocks move forward one hour
Romania will again switch to daylight saving time this weekend, on the night of Saturday to Sunday, March 28 to 29. Thus, at 03:00, clocks will move forward to 04:00, making the day one hour shorter.
The seasonal adjustment takes place every year on the last weekend of March. It will remain in effect until the last Sunday of October 2026, when clocks will be set back by one hour.
The change, applied in most European Union countries, is meant to provide more natural light in the evening, resulting in longer and brighter days. However, it can also affect sleep patterns, biological rhythms, and daily activities.
Rail operator CFR Călători said the transition will not affect current train schedules. Trains will run according to the existing timetable, with services operating under winter time until 03:00, which will become 04:00.
After the change, trains will depart according to the daylight saving time schedule. Services already in operation at the time of the switch will continue to their destinations, while any departures scheduled between 04:00 and 05:00 will be adjusted according to train priority.
As neighboring countries will also switch to daylight saving time on the same date, international train services will continue to operate according to the current timetable across border stations.
In Romania, daylight saving time was first introduced in 1917 during World War I. It was later abandoned and reintroduced in 1932, when it began to be applied annually, before being suspended again in the 1940s and reinstated in 1979, Digi24 reported. Since 1997, Romania has aligned its clock change schedule with that of European Union member states.
The effectiveness of daylight saving time remains under debate at the EU level. In March 2019, the European Parliament voted to end the practice of adjusting clocks by an hour in spring and autumn from 2021. However, the current system remains in place, as a final decision on permanent time has not yet been made.
irina.marica@romania-insider.com
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