Over 1.2 billion RON approved by Government for purchase of new trains and locomotives

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.