The EU’s European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a €630m financing agreement with Romania for the €2.25bn upgrade of the Brașov-Sighișoara railway.
The project will upgrade 113km of double-track, electrified railway between Brașov and Sighișoara in central Romania to let passenger trains travel at up to 160km/h and freight trains at up to 120km/h.
It will allow longer and heavier freight trains to use the route. The upgraded line will carry an estimated four million passengers and six million tonnes of freight a year.
The upgrade will remove bottlenecks from both the Rhine-Danube rail corridor and the trans-European transport network. The goal is to reduce road congestion by encouraging more rail travel.
The EIB will help Romanian authorities prepare and implement the investment.
“This is an investment in people, connectivity and Romania’s future,” said EIB vice president Ioannis Tsakiris.
“By upgrading this strategic railway, we are helping millions of passengers travel more efficiently while creating the capacity needed for freight to move more effectively by rail.
“At the same time, we are strengthening Romania’s connections with European markets and supporting more sustainable transport. This is exactly what European investment should deliver: better infrastructure that creates opportunities for people, businesses and regions.”
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