Twenty-one new trains purchased by Romania remain out of service months after delivery, as Polish manufacturer PESA has yet to complete the maintenance facilities required under the contract, exposing a costly breakdown in project execution, Economica.net and Economedia.ro reported.

The trains, intended to modernise passenger rail services, are currently parked and unused while ageing rolling stock continues to operate, highlighting a gap between procurement and operational readiness. 

Claudiu Mureșan, former President of the Railway Reform Authority (ARF), said the issue stems directly from contractual obligations that were not fulfilled. 

“This contract not only purchased trains. It also purchased maintenance, including the construction of dedicated halls. The halls had to be built and equipped before the reception of the first train,” he stated.

The dispute has escalated into a public clash between current and former officials. Acting minister of transport Radu Miruță said he found “21 brand-new, modern trains in the ministry’s yard, which have been lying for months about to be discoloured by the sun,” calling the situation “absurd” and demanding urgent solutions.

According to Miruță, the supplier was contractually required to deliver fully operational maintenance infrastructure alongside the trains, a condition that has not been met. Without these facilities, the trains cannot be safely introduced into service, effectively freezing a major investment.

Representatives of PESA and railway authorities have been summoned for talks in an attempt to resolve the impasse, but the episode already points to deeper systemic issues in Romania’s rail modernisation efforts - where procurement decisions, contract enforcement, and project sequencing fail to align.

The blockage leaves passengers facing continued reliance on outdated trains, despite significant public spending on new rolling stock, and raises questions about accountability for delays that have turned a flagship upgrade into idle equipment.

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Tatiana Kasantseva/Dreamstime.com)