Romania secures €630 million EU loan for Brașov‑Sighișoara rail upgrade

Romania rail upgrade €630 million loan Siemens signaling Brașov‑Sighișoara line EMU fleet

The Romanian government approved a memorandum to negotiate a €630 million loan from the European Investment Bank to fund the modernization of the 112.55‑km Brașov–Sighișoara railway line. The upgrade will allow trains to run at speeds of up to 160 km/h, improve safety and reduce travel times, and is part of the TEN‑T trans‑European network. The project’s total estimated cost is about €2.25 billion, with additional non‑repayable EU funding.

Separately, a consortium led by Siemens Mobility, together with ELSITEL and IMSAT, was awarded contracts worth €308 million to modernize signaling and traffic‑control systems on roughly 560 km of Romanian railways. The works will replace legacy mechanical and electromechanical equipment with digital signalling, covering 66 stations, 13 central control centres and installing over 2,000 new signals.

Romania has also ordered 128 new electric multiple units (EMUs) – 37 Alstom Coradia Stream trains and 91 from PESA. While the Alstom units entered commercial service in November 2024, only a limited number of PESA units have been accepted and are currently allocated to CFR Călători and private operators, highlighting ongoing certification and maintenance‑contract negotiations.

Entities: Brașov–Sighișoara railway line · Căile Ferate Române (CFR) · European Investment Bank · Radu Mirușcă · Romania · Romanian Government · Romanian Ministry of Finance · Siemens Mobility

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[○ 1 SOURCE] Romania ordered 128 electric multiple units: 37 Alstom Coradia Stream trains and 91 from PESA. (transport ministry statement)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Only a limited number of PESA EMUs have been accepted; 13 units are approved and 6 are allocated to CFR Călători. (railway reform authority)
[● 2 SOURCES] Siemens Mobility, together with ELSITEL and IMSAT, received contracts worth €308 million to modernise signalling on about 560 km of Romanian railways. (company press release)
[● 2 SOURCES] The total estimated cost of the Brașov–Sighișoara project is about €2.25 billion, including EU non‑repayable funding. (government communication)
[● 3 SOURCES] The Romanian government approved a memorandum to negotiate a €630 million loan from the European Investment Bank for the Brașov–Sighișoara railway line. (government press release)
[● 3 SOURCES] The Brașov–Sighișoara line is 112.55 km long and will allow trains to travel at up to 160 km/h. (government announcement)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Alstom Coradia Stream EMUs entered commercial service on 20 November 2024, reaching speeds up to 160 km/h and carrying 351 passengers. (transport ministry)
[● 2 SOURCES] The signalling upgrade will cover 66 stations, 13 traffic‑control centres and replace over 2,000 signals. (project description)