EIB provides EUR 630 mln for Brașov-Sighișoara railway upgrade in Romania

The European Investment Bank (EIB) announced that it signed a EUR 630 million financing agreement with Romania to upgrade the railway between Brașov and Sighișoara. The 113 km project has a total estimated cost of EUR 2.25 billion and will also be supported by EU funding and a Romanian state contribution.

The works cover the existing double-track, electrified railway in central Romania. Once completed, the upgrade is expected to increase capacity for both passenger and freight services while reducing journey times and improving reliability and safety, EIB said.

Passenger trains will be able to travel at speeds of up to 160 km/h, while freight trains will reach up to 120 km/h, according to the bank. The upgraded route will have capacity for as many as 29 passenger and 22 freight trains per day.

Around four million passengers and six million tonnes of freight are expected to use the line annually. Longer and heavier freight trains will be able to operate on the route.

“By upgrading this strategic railway, we are helping millions of passengers travel more efficiently while creating the capacity needed for freight to move more effectively by rail,” said EIB vice-president Ioannis Tsakiris. “At the same time, we are strengthening Romania’s connections with European markets and supporting more sustainable transport.”

The railway is part of the Rhine-Danube and Baltic Sea–Black Sea–Aegean Sea corridors of the Trans-European Transport Network. The project will remove a bottleneck on these routes and strengthen Romania’s connections with the wider European rail network, the EIB also said.

The line will also be equipped with the European Rail Traffic Management System. Stations and stops will be upgraded to improve access for passengers with disabilities and reduced mobility.

“Investments of this scale are essential to strengthening Romania’s long-term economic potential. High-quality infrastructure creates the conditions for businesses to invest, for regions to develop and for people to benefit from greater economic opportunities,” said interim finance minister Alexandru Nazare. The Brașov–Sighișoara project is an important example of how Romania can combine national priorities with European cooperation to deliver infrastructure that will support the country’s growth and competitiveness for years to come.”

The investment is also expected to encourage a shift from road to rail, reducing congestion, road accidents, noise, pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions.