Romania receives first five Alstom Traxx electric locomotives for passenger services
Romania received the first five Traxx Passenger electric locomotives ordered by the Railway Reform Authority ARF, marking the latest step in the country's railway fleet renewal program. The locomotives have been handed over to state-owned passenger rail operator CFR Călători and are expected to enter commercial service once the remaining regulatory procedures are completed.
The reception of the locomotives - units LE 002, LE 003, LE 004, LE 006 and LE 007 - took place on Thursday, July 30, at Alstom's depot at the CFR Grivița workshops in Bucharest.
The locomotives are part of a contract signed in 2024 between ARF and Alstom Transport SA - Alstom Transportation Germany GmbH for the delivery of 16 multisystem electric locomotives capable of speeds of up to 160 km/h.
ARF said the locomotives have now been transferred to CFR Călători, which will operate them under the country's public service contracts. They will begin carrying passengers after they are registered in the European Register of Railway Vehicles and included in CFR Călători's safety certificate.
The new locomotives are expected to operate on five major interregional routes linking cities including Constanța, Bucharest, Brașov, Cluj-Napoca, Iași, Timișoara, Arad, Suceava, and Dej.
According to ARF, the project aims to modernize Romania's rail fleet by replacing older electric locomotives with more energy-efficient rolling stock equipped with the European Rail Traffic Management System ERTMS. The authority estimates the new locomotives will reduce traction energy consumption by around 25%, lower greenhouse gas emissions by 25.27%, and save approximately 27,500 MWh of electricity annually.
The project has a total value of RON 441.8 million (around EUR 89.4 million) and is fully financed through the Modernisation Fund after initially being included in Romania's National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). The contract is scheduled to run until August 31, 2026.
irina.marica@romania-insider.com
(Photo source: Facebook/ARF - Autoritatea pentru Reformă Feroviară)
