In 2010, CFR Calatori carried 57.67 million passengers.
Other reasons cited by the operator for the lower number of passengers include lower mobility and fewer trains because of repairs on two mainlines, which connect Bucharest to the coast and to the center of the country. “Once these projects, which were necessary to revitalize rail transport, were completed, the length of trips on the two mainlines was reduced significantly, and passenger traffic increased slightly during the summer on the Bucharest-Constanta route,” CFR said.
CFR Calatori’s traffic has been dropping steadily, from 200-300 million passengers in the early ’90s. Nevertheless, revenue from train tickets was 9% higher in 2011 than in 2010, due to a 18% price hike in August 2011. The company’s turnover also increased by 10.9% from 2010, for the same reason.
According to the company’s preliminary estimates, CFR Calatori’s revenue last year was 2.61 billion lei (EUR600 million) and expenses amounted to RON2.608 billion. The company expects to switch to a profit of RON5.8 million, after losses of RON86 million in 2010.
CFR Calatori’s target for this year is to keep traffic at last year’s level, a difficult objective, as the number of trains per kilometer in the minimum social package is 5.87% lower. The operator also intends to renew and modernize its rolling stock, but investments depend on budget allocations. (EUR1=RON4.3497)