The success of rolling stock material
on the commercial market

Historic documents of the Railway certify the fact that specialised units for the maintenance and repair of the rolling stock appeared along with the building and exploitation of the first railways.
They were given many names - Atelier Inspection, CFR Ateliers, mechanic plants, - they were functioning under the direct co-ordination of the speciality department “A-Service,” within the CFR General Direction.
The time passed and the preoccupation to modernise the railway network became more and more visible and this imposed an increase in the maintenance and repair capacities. The steam traction was replaced by Diesel locomotion and then by electricity. Luxurious passenger cars replaced old ones and freight cars increased their capacity and became more and more specialised. We can say that the way the rolling stock park was used was dictated by the demands of traffic and the safety of circulation. Auspicious changes made these important departments of repair and maintenance undergo massive development: new tools, modernisation, car specialisation and also locomotive and railway material specialisation.
Starting with 1991, the said units were turned into commercial societies. It was necessary that in short time they learned to cope with the market and it is well known that in order to survive one must invade the market with tempting offers a fact that further meant professionally applying marketing policies along with a change of mentality and starting market research in order to increase productivity and performance. Special attention was paid to the fact that appreciating performance of a firm is based exclusively on market success; in other words on the profit rate. To this end all firms dealing in rolling stock material were forced to elaborate an ample and strict program for restructuring. The personnel were reduced by 50 % with respect to 1999. To optimise the capacity for production the only available solution was taken - enlarging the options for buyers, developing new areas for metallic constructions and industrial constructions and at the same time repairs for locomotives and cars. The good results came from export led to a certain prestige and a gain in competency, exigency and finally irreproachable quality in the field.
The collaboration between maintenance companies and repair companies for rolling stock material and OPREMAR proved the link needed to keep up the level of maintenance and repair services for rolling stock material.
The Owners Organisation for the Repair of Rolling Stock Material (OPREMAR) was funded in 1992 and is representing the common interests of all economic agents in their relationship with officials of public administration, justice and the unions. Railway companies represent the main partner of and beneficiary of rolling stock repair companies. Knowing the fact that repairing rolling stock material is an important chapter for Romanian economy OPREMAR will pay special attention to the privatisation of these units and is hoping to continue the collaboration with the other companies in order to keep the rapier activities close to CFR.
Regarding the activity of this organisation, it is being tried, at least in a first stage to finish the technical program for repairs on locomotives and freight cars that will satisfy the perspective needs of the Railway.
Also stress is being added to make the repaired rolling stock material more viable by introducing new technical improvements (axles, brakes, suspensions, wiring etc.) another priority is the application of the modernisation programme for rolling stock with exterior funding and also with local funds came from CFR Marfa and CFR Calatori. Presently several types of wagons and locomotives for passenger use are undergoing modernisation and for the future periodical and capital repairs for freight cars will be made as well as general and capital repairs for the traction rolling stock material.
All these projects and works are aiming to increase the viability of products, reducing the number of malfunctions and maintenance costs, increasing speed and of course the increase of safety for railway traffic.

Engineer Mihai Jurj