History of Rail Transport in Romania

The appearance and development of railways on the current territory of Romania since 1854 was determined, as in other European countries, by the transport of raw materials necessary for the development of industry and agriculture, which implicitly led to the improvement of the population’s standard of living. Compared to other countries, the construction and development of the railway network on the current territory of Romania was influenced by the territorial organization and the completion of the formation process of the modern Romanian state, on December 1, 1918, when the railway network from the occupied territories until then by the Austro-Hungarian Empire it was united with that of the old kingdom of Romania. In this way, a connection is made between western Europe and the port of Constanţa on the Black Sea, as well as with the far east, through Russia and Ukraine. Until 1918, the CFR network experienced continuous development, especially thanks to the Romanian railway engineers. The rolling stock manufacturing plants appear and develop in the country’s big cities, ensuring the full supply of locomotives and wagons. On December 9, 1965, the first electrified railway between Braşov and Predeal was inaugurated, and in 2006 the total length of the CFR network exceeded 20,600 km, of which 4000 km were electrified lines. Currently, the provision of a high-performance infrastructure, adapted to current European requirements, will have the effect of increased transport speeds and capacities, safety and comfort for passengers, without forgetting the importance and strategic nature of rail transport and, not in lastly, the very low impact on the environment.