ISPA financing program for Romanian Railways


The European Commission 2000 Agenda included as a completion of the PHARE program, starting two other programs: ISPA, related to financing in transportation and environment and SAPARD, for agricultural and rural development. The three directives (PHARE, ISPA and SAPARD) establish specific modalities to sustain the pre-accession for the following countries: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia.

ISPA (Instrument for Structural Policies for Pre-Accession) is a non-payable financial instrument supervised by the European Commission and offered, as I mentioned before to countries in Central and Eastern Europe that applied for integration in the European Union. The rank banking ISPA offers covers all branches of environment and transportation. The main goals of ISPA for transportation are:

This program has as first priority the activity improvement on railways and mixed transportation of highways, harbors and airports.

The European Union planned that during 2000 – 2006 an annual budget will be insured of over Euro 1 billion and distributed to the ten applicants of the ISPA program. The financing for the projects of each country will be achieved in an amount of 70% from ISPA funds and state or other local budgets will provide the remaining 25%. To be able to use ISPA funds, the Romanian Transport Ministry issued a national strategy for ISPA, Transportation Department between 2000 – 2006 that was officially submitted on October 28 1999 to the national coordinator for non-payable financial assistance (External Affairs House – European Affairs Department).

ISPA strategy is an appendix to the National Development Plan and an integral part hereof. This strategic document includes potential projects for ISPA financing.

On June 20, 2000, in Brussels, the first ISPA Management Committee Union of EU took place; on this occasion, the first three projects proposed by the Transport Ministry for financing through ISPA funds starting with 2000 were presented. These projects are:

For the project related to railway transportation, ISPA non-payable financial assistance costs Euro 240 million whereas the national contribution to this project amounts to Euro 70 million.

The improvement of the Bucharest – Constanta on the Baneasa – Fetesti section project was proposed by CFR SA and during this October a financing agreement between the Government and the EU Comission was supposed to be signed in order to start works. Choosing this route for modernization and improvement was accomplished by respecting provisions stipulated by ISPA. The 225 km Bucharest – Constanta railway belongs to the Pane-European 4 Corridor. The railway links the biggest Black Sea port – Constanta to Bucharest - the capital. Constanta is also located in an important tourist area due to the great number of resorts by the seaside. The main provision of ISPA is attaining the minimal technical parameters established by the international agreements AGC and AGTC that the Romanian Parliament has rated. Thus by completing these tasks we will increase the quality of passenger and freight transportation, subscribing to European standards that require a speed of 160 km/hour for passenger trains and 120 km/hour for freight trains.

The Bucharest Banesa – Fetesti railway is 141 km long and was initially split into four sections:

For the first section - Bucharest Baneasa – Fundulea – the following temporary markers have been established:

The 2, 3 and 4 sections have been merged. During 2001-2002 auctions and execution will be performed.

On the first section Bucharest Baneasa – Fundulea, the works will include the parameters stipulated below for the two sections Bucharest Baneasa – Ciulnita and Ciulnita – Fundulea: 

Work volume

Baneasa – Ciulnita

Ciulnita – Fetesti
1. Embankment works

2. Consolidation

3. Hardening banks

4. Bridges

5. Small bridges

6. Superstructure lines, railway replacements

7. Rail switches (type 60)

8. Dismantling and mounting existent lines

 3.889.220 cubic meters

4.900 meters

920 meters

360 meters (of which 320 new bridges)

15 pieces

38 km

108 pieces

200 km

 2.006.100.100 cubic meters

200 meters

120 meters

16 meters

1 piece

6 km

30 pieces

72 km

Presently, the maximum speed on these routes is 1490 km/hour and certain areas are restricted to 120 km/hour. After the rehabilitation we will be able to run them at 160 km/hour. As a result, the traffic prognosis foresees that in comparison with the 1997 traffic, this will increase proportionally up to 32% for passenger transportation and up to 74.5% for freight transportation by 2010.

These rehabilitation and modernization works will induce supplementary advantages, especially in the field of environment protection. By installing phonic absorbent panels on railways where trains will run at 160-km/hour noise protection for inhabited areas will be provided. Also, once the bridges will be improved we will be able to regulate water flows. On the entire length of the line, the drainage ditches will be rebuilt. In stations we will solve the problem of sewers.

The earth that will remain after the works are completed will be stored and reused at a later time for the technological roads of the railway units or it may be used for communal roads as a result of eventual agreements concluded with local administrations. Using the new system of elastic catch for lines on sleepers that will replace the current K system we will obtain a noise reduction while the rolling stock material passes over the rails. On the areas that interact with the highway Bucharest – Constanta will be forested and protected with a vegetal screen that will permit optical separation between the two transportation areas, useful during nights when luminous signals are used. Taking into account the fact that we use electric traction by taking over traffic surplus from the auto transportation we will register a considerable reduction in pollution and we will prevent the clogging of the highway. CFR SA intents to present for approval to European Commission representatives other projects for which feasibility studies are pending. We also intend to rehabilitate other railway sections with the 4 and 9 Pane-European Corridors. Currently ISPCF SA feasibility studies for the project Curtici – Arad – Deva – Simeria rehabilitation of the 187-km long railway are under way. This project is to be finalized by the end of the year. It intends to uphold the same AGC and AGTC parameters. From the 187 km of the route, 8 km have simple rails that is soon going to be doubled. The medium speed will increase as a result of modernization from 74-km/hour up to 93-km/hour, a fact that will reduce the access time up to 208 minutes. ISPA objectives must contribute to the training needed for accession to EU of countries engaged in this process, both on an economic and social level. The assistance granted by ISPA privilege must submit the objectives stipulated in the Accession Partnership and correspond to the national programs for environment and transport infrastructure improvement.


Reporting Silvia Mitulescu

 

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