Alstom Partners With Arcada For Major Upgrade Of Bucharest-giurgiu Railway, Boosting Capacity And Energy Efficiency With €450 Million Investment

Published on August 15, 2025

Alstom, a world leader successful smart and sustainable mobility, precocious won a important statement to modernise an important conception of nan Bucharest-Giurgiu railway successful Romania. With a worth of astir €450 million, nan task will upgrade Romania’s first railway line, which opened successful 1869. The statement includes nan deployment of European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) Level 2 signalling and electrification, a cardinal measurement successful nan modernisation of Romania’s obstruction network.

The statement was signed by nan Asocierea RailWorks consortium, which is Alstom and nan Romanian civilian useful institution Arcada, pinch Arcada arsenic leader of nan consortium. The statement was signed pinch CFR SA, nan state-owned obstruction infrastructure usability successful Romania, which activated nan commencement of a three-year implementation period. This task will not only modernize nan railway statement but summation its capacity, power efficiency, and work reliability, helping toward a much businesslike and sustainable railway network.

Modernisation of a Historic Railway Line

The task encompasses nan modernisation of 93.45 kilometres of single-track railway that links Bucharest North to Giurgiu North, reaching each nan measurement to nan Giurgiu border. This extended upgrade will impact a afloat revamp of nan railway’s electrification, infrastructure, and superstructure. Furthermore, nan installation of state-of-the-art signalling and telecommunications systems will beryllium carried out. The civilian useful for nan task will beryllium overseen by Arcada, a section building institution starring nan infrastructure development.

The modernisation will besides consequence successful an summation successful nan maximum train velocity to 160 km/h, importantly improving recreation times betwixt Bucharest and Giurgiu. The task will make this conception of nan railway 1 of nan astir modern and businesslike successful Romania, strengthening Romania’s connectivity to Southeast Europe.

Alstom’s Key Role successful nan Modernisation

Alstom’s domiciled successful nan task is crucial, arsenic it will beryllium responsible for deploying nan ERTMS Level 2 signalling system. This precocious integer signalling exertion enhances train control, safety, and efficiency. ERTMS Level 2 is simply a blase connection strategy that enables trains to run pinch greater safety, improved punctuality, and higher capacity, reducing delays and enhancing operational efficiency.

In summation to nan signalling, Alstom will besides oversee nan electrification of nan line, including nan installation of powerfulness proviso infrastructure and overhead interaction lines. Alstom’s expertise successful these areas, on pinch its activity successful integer train power solutions, makes it a cardinal partner successful this infrastructure project.

“This caller statement consolidates Alstom’s starring position connected nan Romanian railway market, for some signalling and electrification and will thief revitalise a existent humanities railway milestone. It will beryllium different important accomplishment for our increasing squad of complete 230 highly qualified engineers, whose expertise supports some our section and our world projects,” says Gabriel Stanciu, Alstom Managing Director for Romania, Bulgaria and nan Republic of Moldova.

Strategic Importance of nan Bucharest-Giurgiu Railway

The Bucharest-Giurgiu railway statement holds awesome strategical value for Romania. It connects Bucharest to nan Giurgiu border, linking Romania to nan pan-European Rhine-Danube Corridor (formerly known arsenic Corridor IV). This corridor connects Romania to Southeast European countries specified arsenic Bulgaria, Greece, and Türkiye. This upgrade will importantly amended Romania’s relationship to nan remainder of Europe, facilitating some rider and freight transport.

The task besides involves improvements to nan Friendship Bridge, a captious railway nexus betwixt Romania and Bulgaria. By upgrading nan railway infrastructure up to nan bridge’s entry, nan inaugural will heighten cross-border obstruction connectivity, facilitating smoother proscription crossed nan region.
ERTMS: A Leap Forward for European Railways

Alstom is recognised globally arsenic a leader successful nan deployment of ERTMS, nan signalling and power strategy that improves nan efficiency, safety, and interoperability of Europe’s obstruction networks. The implementation of ERTMS Level 2 connected nan Bucharest-Giurgiu statement will further fortify nan obstruction system’s capabilities, enabling trains to run astatine higher speeds pinch greater information and efficiency.

Alstom’s integer solutions, including ERTMS, person go integral to modernising obstruction networks crossed Europe. The institution already supplies complete 30% of operational ERTMS Level 2 lines crossed nan continent, underlining its activity successful this technology. As a pioneer successful processing ERTMS, Alstom continues to group caller standards successful obstruction safety, operational performance, and sustainability.

Environmental and Economic Benefits

Beyond nan ratio gains, nan modernisation of nan Bucharest-Giurgiu railway will present important biology and economical benefits. The electrification of nan statement will trim reliance connected fossil fuels, making obstruction recreation a much sustainable option. Furthermore, pinch improved capacity and faster recreation times, nan task is expected to summation obstruction usage, starring to much passengers and contributing to nan region’s economical growth.

By modernising this historical railway line, Romania is not only enhancing its ain infrastructure but besides reinforcing its position arsenic a cardinal carrier hub successful Southeast Europe. This project, which brings together nan expertise of Alstom and Arcada, highlights nan value of investing successful modern, sustainable obstruction solutions to meet early carrier needs.

The modernisation of nan Bucharest-Giurgiu railway is simply a landmark task that will bring important improvements to Romania’s obstruction infrastructure. With Alstom’s precocious integer signalling and electrification solutions, alongside nan civilian useful led by Arcada, this upgrade will heighten efficiency, safety, and capacity connected 1 of Romania’s oldest railway lines. The task besides strengthens Romania’s obstruction connections to Southeast Europe, positioning nan state arsenic a cardinal subordinate successful location and world transportation. Alstom’s continued activity successful obstruction invention underscores its committedness to building smarter and much sustainable obstruction systems for nan future.