130 Years since the Inauguration of the Railway ALBA IULIA - TARGU MURES

Tuesday, the 20th of November 2001. A frosty day, snowing rarely. The platform from Targu-Mures railway's station, dressed in festive clothes, garlands of fir and national flags waving in the wind. It's a holiday at CFR today: the Alba-Iulia - Teius - Razboieni - Targu-Mures railway celebrates 130 years of existence. In the railway station many railway men are gladly waiting for the guests, but the most excited are the former mates, who are retired today, who answered "present" to our invitation. On the platform all the managers of the station and of the Targu Mures Locomotive Depot for the last 3 decades have met on this occasion: Ilie Barsan, Gheorghe Popa, eng. Ioan Florea, Justin Cenan, Ioan Puiac and others. Very excited, eng. Stefan Munji, the one who has led for over 25 years Traffic and Operation Regulator from Targu Mures, reminds us that the memorial plaque that records the celebration was placed on one of the oldest exploitation buildings in the country. It was built between 1870-1871, in the same time with the building of Targu-Mures passengers' railway station. Other important units administrated by Brasov Rail Region, Teius, Razboieni, Ludus railway stations, Teius, Razboieni, Targu-Mures locomotive depots and others - celebrated on the same day, the 20th of November 2001, 130 years of permanent service activity for the CFR. For the inhabitants of Targu-Mures, this day has another meaning: then, 130 years ago, in the morning of the 20th of November 1871, the entrance of the first train in the old Romanian location from the Valley of Mures, made the connection of this old town with the Transilvania railway network, but also with the main European capitals: Vienna, Paris, Berlin and others. ...
…November 20th , 2001. At 11 o'clock the motor car of Brasov Rail Region arrives in Targu-Mures railway station with the first guests: Brasov Rail Region' manager, eng. Dorel Iosifescu, together with the head units of Track, Traffic, Installation Departments, the managers of Alba Iulia, Teius, Razboieni and Ludus station, the head of Brasov Military Transports Department, lt. col. Nicolae Grama. The local authorities have also arrived at the station: the cabinet manager of Mures Prefect's Office, dr. Dorin Florea, the mayor of Targu Mures District, the representatives of Targu-Mures County Council, of the Targu-Mures Garrison and the County and City Police Department representatives. The silence spreads over Targu-Mures railway station; the military fanfare tunes the Romanian National Anthem. The celebration is opened by the manager of Brasov Rail Region, eng. Dorel Iosifescu, who presents a short history of the celebrated railway line and of the Targu-Mures Railway Complex, important railway junction situated in the heart of Transilvania. There has been recalled the development of the railway zone in the new context, created by the Fourth Pan-European Corridor, that links Curtici with Constanta. Dr. Dorin Florea, the County Mayor of Targu-Mures, congratulated the railway's workers, reminding of an old wish of the local authorities: the movement project of Targu-Mures Railway Station to another place, for enhancing the car traffic, divided now by Targu-Mures - Deda railway section, that crosses the city center.
There were also evoked a few less known moments from the Alba Iulia - Teius - Razboieni - Targu-Mures railway history, railway section built by the East Hungarian Railway Company. This was a firm with private capital led by the Warlang brothers, who were representing the Austro-Hungarian interests regarding the green gold exploitations of the woods from the Mures Valley. At the end of the celebration, the County Mayor of Targu-Mures and the manager of Brasov Rail Region uncovered the memorial plaque. On this plaque it was engraved in marble a message for the future, the winged wheel, the well-known CFR symbol, together with the following text: "130 years from the Alba Iulia - Razboieni railway inauguration, 1871- November, 20th, 2001".
The synod of priests has blessed the plaque, together with His Holiness, the archpriest of the Romanian Orthodox Church from Targu-Mures. The meeting participants received as memento, a memorial medal made on this occasion and the postal envelope "First Day" with the image of Targu-Mures passengers building. The credits for the organization and the unfolding of this festive event are granted to Mr. Ion Nistor, the manager of Targu-Mures Station and the employees of the station. They were exceptionally upholded by: SCCF Brasov - the site of Targu-Mures, SC Big Imprest SRL Targu-Mures, as well as by the eng. Stefan Munji and the col. Constantin Husar, whom we would like to thank through the agency of these lines.

Radu Bellu