Clocks turn back one hour as Romania switches to winter time this weekend

Romania will again switch to winter time this weekend, in the night from Saturday to Sunday, October 25-26. Thus, at 4:00 am, clocks will be turned back one hour to 3:00 am, marking the return to Eastern European Time (EET) and making Sunday the longest day of the year, lasting 25 hours.

The time change takes place twice a year in the last weekend of March, when clocks are moved forward one hour for summer time, and in the last weekend of October, when they are set back to standard time.

The practice was originally introduced to make better use of natural daylight and to reduce energy consumption, particularly during wartime and energy crises in the 20th century, according to Euronews.ro. Romania first adopted the time change in 1917, reinstating it permanently in 1979. Since 1997, the country has shifted to daylight saving time on the last Sunday in March and returned to standard time on the last Sunday in October.

The national railway company CFR announced that train schedules will adjust accordingly starting October 26. Passenger and freight trains departing before 4:00 am summer time will follow the summer schedule, while those departing after the time change will operate under winter time.

Trains already in motion at the time of the switch will stop, if necessary, at the nearest station and continue their journey according to the new time.

CFR also noted that international trains operating between Romania and neighboring countries, including Moldova, Hungary, Serbia, Ukraine, and Bulgaria, will maintain their scheduled timetables, as all these states apply the same time change to Eastern European Time.

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.

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