Romania launches first PESA electric regional trains

Romania’s state railway operator CFR Călători received the first five PESA regional electric trainsets, marking the start of service for the new fleet. The trains began operating on Thursday, with Regio 8011 departing Bucharest Nord at 06:17 and arriving in Constanța at 11:06, and its counterpart Regio 8010 running the reverse schedule. Additional services will run on the Bucharest‑Brașov corridor.

The rollout follows weeks of delays while the Ministry of Transport, represented by interim minister Radu Miruță and state secretary Horațiu Cosma, resolved contract‑maintenance issues that had left the units parked at the Obor depot. An amendment to the maintenance contract allowed the trains to enter passenger service while payments are suspended until the contractor fulfills its obligations.

The delivery is part of a larger procurement of 62 short‑distance electric units from Polish manufacturer PESA, valued at over 2.7 billion lei. A further five units are slated for the private operator Transferoviar Călători, which will deploy them on the Bucharest‑Constanța line. The contract also includes a 15‑year maintenance package for the broader fleet.