Source (translated with Deepl below):
The National Railway Company CFR SA launched on Friday evening the procedure for the electrification of the Magistrale 500 to the border with Ukraine.
The tender notice for "Design and execution of works related to the investment objective Rehabilitation of the Dărmănești-Vicșani-Frontier railway line - Phase 1, Electrification" has been posted in the electronic public procurement system. The total estimated value of the contract is between 167.017.787,67 and 183.719.566,44 lei.
The project "Rehabilitation of the Dărmănești-Vicșani-Frontieră railway line" is part of Romania's General Transport Master Plan (MPGT) and is proposed for financing in the period 2021 - 2030, according to Annex 10.35 - ,,Sources of financing for railway infrastructure 2020 - 2030″. The Dărmănești-Vicșani-Frontieră railway line is part of the TEN-T network and is an important line of the railway network in Romania, which takes over the international European traffic on the two central corridors on the Romanian territory. It also takes over international rail freight and passenger traffic from Ukraine and connects the Rhine-Danube Corridor (former Corridor IV) with the countries of south-eastern Europe (Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey) and the countries of north-eastern Europe (Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Russia).
After 1989 freight transport lost important customers and categories of materials traditionally transported by rail, the specifications state. The economic crisis of recent years has brought even more declines. Long freight train delays, long and uncertain journey times and high costs have led to massive falls in the volume of freight transported by rail. Rail transport has a market share of less than 40% for the volume of freight transported. This decline in the share of rail transport is in line with the trend in the European Union, where freight volumes transported by road were about five times higher than by rail.
The electrification of the 500 main line to the border will take a year
The work is located in the north-east of the country on the administrative territory of Suceava county and is situated in the intra-urban and extra-urban areas of the following administrative territorial units: Dărmănești Local Authority Unit, Grănicești Local Authority Unit, Milișăuți Local Authority Unit, Satu Mare Local Authority Unit, Dornești Local Authority Unit, Frătăuții Noi Local Authority Unit, Mușenița Local Authority Unit. The Dărmănești-Vicșani-Frontieră railway line is part of the Magistrala 500 București Nord-Dărmănești-Vicșani Frontieră.
The area under study is 2.594.186.30 sqm (259 ha). This area belongs to the public and private domain of the State under concession of CNCF CFR SA, as well as the adjacent areas belonging to the owners, natural persons, legal entities and the public domain of local interest as appropriate.
The estimated duration of the works is 12 calendar months from the issue of the construction permit (CA).
The deadline for receipt of tenders or requests to participate is 4 December 2023, 15:00. The tender must be valid until 4 June 2024.
Here in Romania, much of what was left of our steel production was going to the US. This will hit us very hard.