The background
In the late 19th century, the first railway line in Transylvania opened from Arad to Alba Iulia via Simeria. Since then, Simeria has become an important railway hub due to its strategic location. It was, indeed, the perfect place to stop by and repair the rolling stock. It is the starting point of the Simeria-Petroşani and Simeria-Hunedoara branches built in the Mureş Valley.
The Simeria to km 614 (close to Arad) railway section is part of a railway line that crosses Romania from the Black Sea to the Hungarian border - that is, from east to west. Simeria is also an important connection between Romania’s second and third biggest cities, Cluj-Napoca and Timisoara.
The challenge
The section did not meet European interoperability requirements and its poor condition did not allow an efficient and competitive railway transport service. This also meant that train routes from Simeria could not efficiently continue towards neighbouring countries such as Hungary. Some of the interoperability limitations were: lower axle load, shorter length of sidings, absence of an ERTMS signalling system1 and reduced line speed.
The maximum operational speed was significantly reduced due to the poor condition of the track, equipment and structures. Passenger trains could reach not more than 100 km/h, whilst several sections were subject to restrictions of 70, 50 and even 30 km/h. Regarding freight trains, the speed was limited to a maximum of 60 km/h.
As a result of the line’s deteriorating performance and the works disrupting the traffic on neighbouring sections in the corridor, traffic decreased in the past few years.
The action
The project (144 km of railway line, including track, electrification, signalling and telecommunications) is being fully rehabilitated and upgraded. The line is becoming fully interoperable and its performance is being improved substantially. Travel speeds are being increased to a maximum of 160 km/h for passengers and 120 km/h for freight trains.
JASPERS provided detailed advice during the project preparation phase, covering a wide range of issues such as planning, engineering, economics and the environment. Overall, this led to a better quality project and to quantifiable cost savings.
Following JASPERS advice, unnecessary investments were avoided in a number of stations - notably 36 stations’ tracks - resulting in a project capital cost saving of approximately €20 million as well as long-term savings in the operational and maintenance costs. In addition, at the application submission stage, JASPERS identified other unnecessary costs of approximately €45 million initially included in the application, which, further to JASPERS comments, were excluded from the final version submitted to the Commission.
During the final preparation stage, JASPERS played a critical role in enabling the Romanian authorities to submit the application to the European Commission in good time, in line with its requirements. Following JASPERS’ post-submission appraisal, the application was swiftly approved by the European Commission within less than three months from the submission date and without interruption.
The results
The project is bringing the railway line between Simeria and Arad back to its former glory. JASPERS’ assistance efficiently helped reduce budgetary expenses. Moreover, thanks to the quality of the project, 75% of the eligible cost was covered by the European Union, amounting to over €1.3 billion. Improvements in the train infrastructure are leading to faster, safer, more comfortable and, finally, more reliable train services for passengers.
· Faster. Passengers will benefit from a faster journey as travel times are being cut by more than five hours (over the entire corridor from the Hungarian/Romanian border to Brasov).
· Safer. The upgrading of the corridor is shifting traffic from road to rail, reducing the number of road accidents and making the journey safer. Level crossings, a potential risk for users, were reviewed: of the 83 existing level crossings, 61 are being eliminated and 22 maintained but highly protected with automatic full barriers. Retaining walls, slope and river bed corrections are also being reinforced.
· More environmentally friendly. The project is also bringing significant environmental benefits, notably by shifting traffic from road to rail. Indeed, it is going to significantly contribute to the fight against climate change, with an estimated reduction of GHG emissions by 1.5 million tonnes of CO2.
· More comfortable. The rehabilitation of four buildings and the construction of nine new passenger buildings are making stations more comfortable for passengers, including access for people with reduced mobility. Passengers enjoy new information systems with voice and data communication and modern facilities, such as better heating and lighting and upgraded commercial areas.
· More reliable. The renewal and construction of 348.3 km of railway track (main line and station sidings) are making the train service punctual and reliable. The ERTMS system will ensure a smoother and safer train traffic flow.
· More competitive. The project is increasing Romania’s economic competitiveness. Thanks to this project, the rail section better connects the primary (Timisoara, Cluj-Napoca, Sibiu) and secondary (Arad, Deva, Alba Iulia) economic centres in western and central Romania, which in turn will foster economic and social cohesion in the region. The project map also provide opportunities for business development near the railway line and the stations.
· More European. At European level, the line better connects the Romanian rail network with the Hungarian and thus the European network. Integration into the European network enhances Romania’s trading economy, since the country is now equipped with a more efficient train network to transport goods.
