Romania PESA and new rolling stock rollout

In early August 2026, Romania’s state railway operator CFR Călători received the first five PESA regional electric trainsets, allowing the new fleet to begin service on routes such as Bucharest Nord–Constanța and the Bucharest-Brașov corridor. The launch followed the resolution of contract-maintenance disputes, with an amendment permitting operation while payments are held pending contractor compliance.

A few days later, the inaugural commercial run on the Bucharest-Brașov line took place, but the train ran without insurance coverage until a tender for such coverage is completed. The service experienced a near-hour delay and an air-conditioning failure, leaving passengers in an overheated carriage. Authorities confirmed that the remaining PESA units will be deployed on other major corridors, continuing the effort to modernise Romania’s rolling stock despite the early operational hiccups.

By mid-August, the deployment of new rolling stock expanded to include private operators. Transferoviar Călători (TFC) began operating PESA electric trains on the Bucharest–Roșiori route via the Railway Reform Authority (ARF). Simultaneously, Astra Trans Carpatic introduced two daily train pairs on the Bucharest–Brașov route using new units manufactured by the Chinese company CRRC Sifang. This marks the first instance of a private Romanian operator deploying new trains through a direct purchase rather than state acquisition. These CRRC units can reach speeds of up to 160 km/h.

Amidst these rollouts, the sector faces structural challenges. While the ARF is working on an EU-co-financed project to implement rhythmic schedules around major cities like Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, and Timișoara, railway unions have warned of potential service stoppages due to insufficient government funding. Furthermore, reports indicate that 72% of the rail network consists of old tracks, with recent funding covering less than half of the required infrastructure investment.