Infrastructure: Nine Coradia trains to be delivered to Romania by year-end, the rest up to 37 - until May 2026

Alstom will deliver to Romania nine more Coradia trains by the end of the year, and May 2026 is the committed deadline for the contract's completion, with a delay of almost a year and a half, president of the Railway Reform Authority (ARF) Mihai Barbu said, on the sidelines of the Railway Days event."By 2026, all Alstom trains will be in Romania. I went to their rolling stock factory in Bautzen, Germany, and I saw firsthand that work is underway. I spoke with the management of the Bautzen plant, and they assured me that by May all 37 trains will be in Romania," Barbu explained.He emphasized that so far five trains have been delivered, nine more will follow by the end of the year and then, by May, the rest up to the contracted total of 37.Barbu confirmed that the train manufacturer will face contractual penalties for delays, but emphasized that he doesn't want enforcement to jeopardize future deliveries. Speaking about the delayed train contracts, Barbu acknowledged penalty calculations have reached a standstill due to the absence of updated delivery schedules. "We, of course, know the value of the penalties up to a certain point, after which, no longer having a delivery schedule, we can no longer calculate penalties," he explained.Barbu stressed that penalty discussions remain separate from delivery obligations, noting the 15-year maintenance contract with Alstom provides "enough time to discuss penalties and their payment." The ARF head made his strategic approach: "I put the delivery of the trains first and then of course they have to pay. I don't want to get into a conflict in which the delivery of the trains would stop," he said, pointing out that passengers care about train availability, not contractual disputes.Regarding payment concerns, the ARF president assured all precautions have been taken to prevent delays in financing incoming trains. Some projects, including locomotives and part of the PESA train order, will transition from National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) funding to alternative financing lines, while the Coradia trains remain under the current arrangements.According to ARF data, contracts are in place for 144 trains and locomotives scheduled for delivery by end-2026: 62 regional electric trains, 37 interregional trains, 29 additional interregional units, and 16 electric locomotives.The Railway Days Conference returned on October 14 and 15 to Bucharest, bringing together the main actors in the field of rail transport, specifically authorities, top companies, experts and strategic partners.According to the organizers, the conference, now in its 20th edition, brought together influential voices that define the present and future of rail transport.The Railway Days Conference is the largest and most relevant railway conference and exhibition in Romania, as hundreds of professionals and market leaders in the field participate every year in the event with tradition and resonance in the Romanian industry. (Photo:https://www.alstom.com/)