New purchases of trains and locomotives were approved on Thursday in the Government meeting, the amount required for the investments amounting to 1.21 billion RON, including VAT.According to a press release from the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, the Executive has approved the Government Decision for the approval of the substantiation note regarding the necessity and opportunity of making the expenses related to the investment project "Acquisition of 23 new electric locomotives with ERTMS systems, capable of reaching a speed of 160 km/h and to pull up to 16 passenger cars".The amount required for the purchase of the 23 locomotives intended for railway passenger transport is 760.27 million lei, including VAT.The purchase of the 23 new electric locomotives, called LE2, aims at increasing the efficiency of the operation of passenger rail transport services and reducing pollution on a series of routes on the electrified public railway network or in the process of being electrified: Bucharest - Craiova - Drobeta Turnu Severin - Timisoara - Arad; Bucharest - Craiova - Simeria - Deva - Arad; Bucharest - Brasov - Sighisoara - Arad - Curtici; Bucharest - Brasov - Sighisoara - Cluj Napoca - Oradea; Bucharest - Brasov - Miercurea Ciuc - Dej; Bucharest - Buzau - Pascani - Suceava - Vatra Dornei; Bucharest - Buzau - Tecuci - Iasi; Bucharest - Buzau - Pascani - Iasi; Bucharest -Giurgiu North; Iasi - Constanta/(Mangalia) via Tecuci; Suceava - Constanta/(Mangalia) via Buzau; Galati - Constanta/(Mangalia), Bucharest - Constanta/(Mangalia).At the same time, the Executive also approved the Government Decision for the approval of the substantiation Note regarding the necessity and opportunity of carrying out the expenses related to the investment project "Purchase of 9 long-distance interregional electrical frames RE-IR-2"."The purpose of the investment objective 'Purchase of 9 long-distance interregional electric frames RE-IR-2' is to renew the rolling stock fleet, because the existing rolling stock in Romania does not have the level of quality required by the traveling public, and the manufacturing technologies that were used are exceeded, as it is not possible to ensure the fulfillment of the quality standards provided for in the public service contracts," the press release reads.The amount required for the purchase of the nine long-distance interregional electric frames, intended for railway passenger transport (RE-IR-2) is 447.41 million RON, including VAT.The trains will be equipped with ERTMS On-Board installations, composed of GSM equipment (radio and antenna), EVC equipment (European Vital Computer), DMI equipment (Driver Man Interface), train interface unit (TIU), radar equipment, accelerometer, eurobalise antenna, recording unit (JRU).The addition of the 9 RE-IR2 long-distance electric frames aims to increase the efficiency of the mode of operation of railway passenger transport services, reduce pollution and increase comfort on a series of routes on the electrified public railway network or in the process of electrification: Oradea - Cluj Napoca - Sighisoara - Brasov; Cluj Napoca - Alba Iulia - Simeria (Deva) - Targu Jiu - Craiova - Calafat.The financing of the two investment projects is carried out from non-refundable external funds, through the Modernization Fund and from the state budget, through the budget of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, within the limits of the amounts approved annually for this purpose, according to the public investment programs approved according to the law.The purchase of new rolling stock for public rail passenger transport will have a significant impact on the level of quality of services offered, passenger safety and the improvement of environmental conditions, as well as on the costs and economic benefits of rail passenger transport.The new offers of public passenger rail transport services, developed on the basis of the new rolling stock that will be purchased, will take into account both the increase of mobility around the country's major socio-economic centers, as well as the achievement of fast connections between important territorial administrative units of the country, the Ministry said.
Romanian deep-tech startup .lumen, the developer of what it says are the world’s first AI-powered glasses for the blind, has secured a new investment from EIT Urban Mobility, the European innovation community focused on advancing sustainable and inclusive urban mobility solutions. The value of the new funding round was not disclosed. The investment aligns with […]
The health spending per capita in Romania was the lowest in the EU, with spending less than half the EU average in 2023, the recently released report, State of Health in the EU - Romania Country Health Profile 2025, shows. At the same time, life expectancy in Romania is 5.1 years below the EU average, […]
Romania’s annual inflation rate stood at roughly 9.8% in November 2025, similar to October, according to data published by the National Institute of Statistics (INS). Food prices increased by 7.6% last month, while services rose roughly 11% and non-food goods climbed 10.7%. The consumer price index rose by 0.42% in November compared with October, while […]
Three French soldiers deployed in Romania as part of NATO’s Multinational Battle Group at Cincu intervened to save a truck driver following a serious traffic accident on the A3 Bucharest–Ploiești motorway, the Romanian Ministry of Defense said. The incident occurred earlier this week as the soldiers were traveling toward Ploiești and witnessed the truck crash...
Eight contemporary art galleries will present the works of the artists they represent at the third edition of the Smallest Art Fair in Town, an event dedicated to works on paper. This edition showcases works “investigating the state of wandering, disorientation, and rediscovery in the face of uncertainty.” Under the title In Dark Woods, A […]
Parents everywhere are asking an important question: What skills will truly prepare a child for a world defined by rapid change, global uncertainty, and the rise of artificial intelligence? For decades, schools focused entirely on academics. Today, research from neuroscience, performance psychology, and leading universities shows a different reality: The students who thrive long-term are […]
