ROMANIA: The first of 16 Alstom Traxx Universal locomotives ordered by national railway reform authority ARF is undergoing dynamic testing at the Făurei test centre.
The 768m lei + VAT contract awarded by ARF in January 2024 and financed from the state budget and the National Recovery & Resilience Plan includes the provision of 20 years of maintenance and repair services, which can be extended for a further 20 years.
Testing in Romania is to be followed by a testing programme on TSI-certified lines in Germany. Deliveries will start in the first half of 2026.
The four-axle electric locomotives will have a maximum speed of 200 km/h and be able to haul up to 16 coaches. They will have Alstom’s onboard ETCS equipment. The initial loco is carrying a temporary blue livery during testing. This will be replaced with a dark red colour scheme once the testing is completed.
‘We are proud to see the first Traxx Universal locomotive for ARF entering testing on schedule’ said Gabriel Stanciu, Alstom’s Managing Director for Romania, Bulgaria & Moldova, after the loco was unveiled at București Nord station on August 7. He said the ‘high-performance’ locos would ‘bring a major boost to the country’s sustainable rail transport capabilities, both in terms of speed and reliability.’
Alstom said more than 3 000 Traxx locos have been sold since 2000, and they are approved for 20 countries and cover a total annual distance of more than 300 million kilometres.
- ARF has called tenders for a further 23 electric locomotives. Requirements include a maximum speed of 160 km/h, the ability to haul up to 16 coaches and the provision of 20 years of maintenance. Bids are to be submitted by September 22.
