The Ploiesti Crang – Ploiesti Vest (CREIR Bucuresti) railway section was leased for RON12,700 per year to Vest Transrail, the Buda-Slanic (CREIR Bucuresti) railway section was leased for RON173,600 per year to Transferoviar Grup and the Oravita – Iam (CREIR Timisoara) railway section was taken over for RON41,000 per year by RC-CF Trans. Tariffs do not include VAT.
The lease contracts awarded through public tenders organized at the Romanian Commodities Exchange (BRM) will run for four years. The winning firms are also obliged to take on the CFR staff employed by these sections.
Romania’s Government decided last year to lease 1,000 km of public railroad and close another 1,000 km, in an effort to save RON109 million from the railway company budgets, as per a previous agreement with the International Monetary Fund.
The Government has promised the International Monetary Fund to close 20% of the country’s railroad network, about 4,000 kilometers of railway lines, unless it finds investors to ensure their maintenance. (EUR1=RON4.4662)