“Due to the difficult and accelerating challenges in the local market, Greenbrier Romania intends to cease its production operations carried out at the Arad factory. This decision was influenced by several factors, including mounting pressure from the industry, rising operational costs compared to the other factories, but also logistical constraints related to the age of the unit and the urban environment,” company officials announced in a press statement.
Greenbrier Romania will continue to consolidate its production operations at the Caracal factory (Olt County) and the Drobeta Turnu Severin factory (Mehedinti County).
“This strategic realignment reinforces Greenbrier’s long-term commitment to the railcar production line in Romania. The company plans to continue investing in these work units to support their long-term development. Existing orders will be fulfilled from these locations, and procurement and logistics strategies will be adjusted according to needs,” company officials also said.
As per data for 2023, Astra Rail Industries increased its staff numbers by 12% to almost 2,300 employees and the company’s 2023 turnover surged by 50% to RON1.2 billion. The three factories, which cover 357,000 square meters, have a production capacity of 5000 freight railcars per year, the biggest capacity in Europe, in line with the latest data. The plants’ output went to customers in Western Europe due to a lack of orders in Romania.
Greenbrier Companies is an American publicly traded transportation manufacturing corporation headquartered in Lake Oswego, Oregon, United States, and a leading supplier of rail transportation equipment and services. In 2016, Greenbrier acquired 75% of the shares of Astra Rail Industries – which operated the Arad railcar factory, in a deal amounting to EUR60 million.
Astra Rail Industries was established by German entrepreneur Thomas Manns on the structure of the Astra Vagoane Arad, Meva and Romvag Caracal factories