Romania - General Information
Country Name
Romania (România)
National Railway System
Compania Naţională de Căi Ferate (CFR).
National Railway Operator
CFR Călători is the national train operating company.
Infrastructure Authority
CFR SA is the national infrastructure manager.
Language
Romanian, but there is a substantial Hungarian speaking minority in Transylvania.
Currency
RON (Romanian New Lei). The unit is Leu (plural Lei), 1 Leu = 100 Bani (singular Ban).
UIC code
numeric: 53; alpha: RO.
Timetable
Journey Planner
Can be found at www.cfrcalatori.ro
Downloadable Timetable
None identified for CFR. The result of enquiries made on the journey planner can be printed. mersul-trenurilor-sectii-secundare.uv.ro gives up to date information on the private operators (see Other Railways for a list of the lines covered). A scanned copy of the current timetable ( and past timetables as well) is available at tren.transira.ro/Arhiva. You will need to download winRAR ( free trial version available) to view this file. Amendments since the timetable began are not included.
Printed Timetable
Mersul Trenurilor de Călători published annually. This includes introductory material in French and English, with an explanation of the abbreviations in French. It contains details of all CFR services and those provided by private operators. However, it is often months out of date for the private operators so it is better to use the Downloadable Timetable above.
Engineering Information
If a train listed by the journey planner is affected by engineering work, a note will be shown in the "Restrictions" column at the right hand side of the screen.
Bus Information
Can be found at http://www.autogari.ro A drop down menu at the top right of the home page allows selection of several different languages, including English.
Maps
Printed Maps
- European Railway Atlas: Scandinavia and Eastern Europe by M.G. Ball (1993) (ISBN 0-7110-2072-4)
- European Railway Atlas by M.G. Ball (2008 onwards)
Web-based Maps
- An official CFR map shows some lines which are already closed to passenger traffic.
- Thorsten Büker's Map of Romania.
Gauge
Standard. Russian gauge (1520 mm) track crosses into Romania from Ukraine to Halmeu, Dorneşti, Sighetu Marmasţiei and Galaţi, and from Moldova to Nicolina (Iaşi) and Falciu. The broad and standard gauge tracks are separated at stations but four rail track is provided between stations. The CFR narrow (760 mm) gauge lines are all closed.
Electrification
25 kV 50 Hz.
Rule of the road
Right.
Other Railways
Company/Table | Route |
S.C. Regional S.R.L. | |
310/316 | Oradea - Ciumeghiu - Holod - Vaşcău |
402/413 | Oradea - Săcuieni Bihor - Marghita - Sărmăşag |
406 | Bistriţa Nord - Bistriţa Bârgăului |
417 | Satu Mare - Botiz - Bixad |
418/401 | Rodna Veche - Ilva Mică - Năsăud - Salva |
S.C. Transferoviar Călători S.R.L. | |
300 | Oradea - Huedin - Cluj Napoca |
300/405 | Cluj Napoca - Razboieni - Ludus - Targu Mures |
309 | Oradea - Băile Felix - Cordau |
401/400/406 | Cluj Napoca - Dej Călători - Beclean pe Somes - Sărăţel - Bistriţa Nord |
504 | Buzau - Berca - Nehoiaşu |
703 | Galaţi - Târgu Bujor - Bârlad |
917 | Caransebeş - Oţelu Roşu - Bouţari |
S.C. Regiotrans S.R.L. | |
200/300 | Alba Iulia - Cluj Napoca |
200/200A/300/310 | Braşov - Sibiu - Alba Iulia - Arad - Timişoara Nord |
200/300/405/406 | Bistriţa Nord - Luduş - Alba Iulia |
200A/206 | Cugir - Alba Iulia |
203 | Braşov - Zărneşti |
208/300 | Blaj - Copşa Mică - Sibiu |
208/300/308 | Odorhei - Sighişoara - Copşa Mică - Sibiu |
210 | Alba Iulia - Zlatna |
215 | Arad - Nădlac |
216 | Arad - Aradu Nou - Periam - Sânnicolau Mare - Vălcani |
217 | Timişoara Nord - Sinandrei - Periam - Lovrin - Nerau |
218 | Timişoara Nord - Ronaţ - Lovrin - Sânnicolau M - Cenad |
300 | Braşov - Ploieşti Vest - Bucureşti Nord |
300 | Bucureşti Nord - Floresti Prahova |
307 | Blaj - Târnaveni - Praid |
310 | Arad - Timişoara Nord |
313 | Sântana - Nadab - Graniceri |
317 | Arad - Ineu - Gurahont - Brad |
318 | Ineu - Cermei |
400 | Braşov - Miercurea� Ciuc - Siculeni - Gheorgheni |
403 | Braşov - Intorsura Buzăului |
400/404 | Braşov - Sfântu Gheorghe - Breţcu |
405|300|200a | Bistriţa Nord - Sărăţel - Magherus Sieu - Luduş - Alba Iulia |
500/510 | Fălticeni - Dolhasca - Pascani |
500/600/704 | Ploieşti Vest - Focsani - Tecuci - Bârlad - Vaslui - Iaşi |
512 | Dorohoi - Leorda - Botoşani |
517/606 | Târgu Neamţ - Paşcani - Iaşi |
600/605 | Roman - Buhăieşti - Iaşi |
607 | Iaşi - Podu Iloaiei - Harlau |
608 | Iaşi - Leţcani - Dângeni - Dorohoi |
900/909 | Caracal - Rosiori Nord - Alexandria |
909a | Alexandria - Zimnicea |
910a | Caracal - Corabia |
916a | Buziaş - Gătaia - Jamu Mare |
921 | Jebel - Giera |
922/922a | Timişoara Nord - Voiteni - Gătaia - Berzovia - Reşiţa Nord |
923 | Berzovia - Oravita |
926 | Timişoara Nord - Cruceni |
928 | Jimbolia - Lovrin |
S.C. Servtransinvest S.A. | |
907/901 | Roşiori Nord - Costeşti - Piteşti |
Tourist lines
- Vişeu de Sus (steam trains) www.wassertalbahn.ch
- Moldoviţa forest railway (steam trains)
- Brad – Criscior forest railway (steam trains)
The CFR narrow gauge lines (Târgu Mureş network and Sibiu - Cornatel - Agnita) are closed but ideas for reopening exist. The Sibiu - Cornatel - Agnita line also offers rail cycling; see the Poze Secasel website.
Once a year, a steam loco is taken to Abrud for two days to run a service on the 10 km section to Campeni. A similar sparse steam operation is offered in Comandau.
Metro
Trams
Bucharest, Arad, Botoşani, Brăila, Cluj Napoca, Craiova, Galati, Iaşi, Oradea, Ploieşti, Reşiţa, Sibiu, Timişoara.
Recent and Future Changes
From 31 December 2011 all services were suspended on the following lines
- L205 Babeni - Alunu,
- L507 Marasesti - Panciu
- L516 Floreni - Dornisoara
- L902 Giurgiu - Gradistea
- L920 Jebel - Liebling
The following lines are under threat:-
- L801 Bucuresti - Oltenita (Private Operator TFG taking over March 2012)
- L306 Ploiesti Vest - Buda - Slanic
- L304 Ploiesti Sud - Maneciu
- L904 Targoviste - Pietrosita
- L302 Ploiesti Sud - Targoviste
- L909 Rosiori Nord - Alexandria
- L908 Rosiori Nord - Turnu Magurele
- L914 Strehaia - Motru
- L924 Oravita - Iam
- L925 Oravita - Anina
- L214 Livezeni - Lupeni
- L207 Simeria - Hunedoara
- L927 Carpinis - Ionel
- L213 Timisoara - Radna (Private operator taking over soon)
- L515 Dornesti - Putna
- L513 Gura Humorului – Darmanesti (recently put up for rent)
- L600 Faurei - Tecuci
- L606 Crasna - Husi (service cut backs at end of December 2011)
The cross border line from Fălciu Hm to PrutII (Moldova) is not in the 2011-2012 timetable. This service is believed to have operated Friday and weekends only for at least part of 2011.
The Simeria avoiding line lost its two train pairs from the start of the 2011-2012 timetable.
Table 513 [Suceava] – Darmaneşti – Cacica has re-opened after repair of flood damage.
On line 306 the final 10km from Poiana Slănic to Slănic re-opened on 21st June 2011
Some CFR lines on the list of those threatened with closure may be taken over by private operators; otherwise they will be closed.
Vama – Moldovita hcv closed in 2010 after flood damage.
The following line has reopened
- 316 Holod - Vaşcău
The border crossing at Kardam (BDŽ) / Negru Vodă (CFR) carried passenger trains between 15 June and 9 August 2009 after some years of closure. There are no trains in the current timetable.
Special notes
None.