Once Again on the Danube Banks

In the article: Railway employees from Galati, a step forward to become…European like", occurred in the last issue of our magazine, we have mentioned about the modernization of the two buildings of Galati Rail Region Station, which are in full development process. Yet, in parallel with this vast and ambitious program, the team of the rail region located on the banks of the Danube is still achieving other important projects: the modernization and the hygiene works in the railway stations, rehabilitations and general overhauls at the tunnels.

The integration of the Romanian Railways in the European network and the wish of all the railway men to fulfill this dream have a special role in the growth of the performances of our network up to the European requirements, including the modernization of all railway stations buildings, by bringing them to the occidental level.
Up to the present time, all the rail regions have started off vast modernization programs for the buildings of the railway stations, and also for the improvement of the work conditions for its employees.

Focsani, a historical…railway station
The route of Buzau - Marasesti railway section has been inaugurated on October 30, 1881, making the link between four large stations - Buzau, Marasesti, Ramnicu Sarat and Focsani. This day will be remembered in our railway history because it can be considered the moment of carrying out the union of the Romanian Principalities…on the railway communications plan. At the respective time, this line was providing a safer link with Moldova, on the already existing lines the traffic being quite seldom interrupted due to the water overflowing.
Yet the time…has proved that! The last year, the railway men had to demolish the old building of the railway station from Focsani, which already proved to be unfit with the current requirements. Consequently, the personnel had to develop its activity in the building B, built many years ago, when the idea of rehabilitation of the railway station building has been launched.
The new building had two bodies, built in an L shape, and in its prolongation will be built a hotel and a parking space. The project of the new building stipulates the building of two waiting rooms (Ist and IInd class) and also two kiosks, with a waiting room (endowed with its own heating system), on the platforms.
Up to the present time, as the rail region director, Mr. Aurel Ciotarca, has declared to us "there has been dig up the foundation and we are getting closer to the zero quotation of the railway station. What kept us was the long winter, which seemed to never end. The constructing company has resumed the works and we are hoping that during the time we will no longer meet any other obstacles".
Besides the railway stations from Focsani and Galati, the railway stations from Barila and Buzau will also reach at the level of eurostations. At the latest ones, the modernization works have extended to the CT 2 buildings and to the electrification section, which will have their own thermal station. "We have reached to the conclusion that there should be assembled this thermal station because being connected to the town thermal station we had several problems with the heating, there were many times when the railway personnel and the passengers had to develop their activity, respectively, to wait for the train - in cold rooms. Now, once with the assembling of the thermal station at the basement of the building, we are hoping to avoid having these kind of problems anymore", the rail region director has also added.

Field sliding, a current issue
Quite often, the railway employees from Galati are fighting with the serious traffic problems caused by field sliding. "If we have no problem between the Km 2 and Km 9, they occur a bit higher, where there is the flooded area of the railways; due to the rains and of the slopes, great quantities of water are colleted, which quite often imply the displacement of the railway line, and therefore there appear the risk of being produced accidents. Last year, we have confronted once again with this big problem: due to the abundant rains, a slow train has derailed on Galati - Bralad railway section. Accumulated in big quantities, the water has penetrated the railways, and on a quite large section of the embankment the line remained as a vault. When that slow train has passed, due to the load the track has lowered, causing the derailment. Fortunately, there were not registered any victims, because the train was getting close to the station and was operating with reduced speed. There was for the first time when we confronted with such a case."
Presently, the traffic on this line is normally unfolding, but our concerns for the removal of these shortcomings still continue: there is a project for the rehabilitation of the line, and in the flooded area will be tried a level rectification. "We will elevate the line with a meter from the ground, in order to "get rid "of the flooded section, and we will achieve two culverts in order to provide the drainage of the waters in case of freshet", the director has concluded this chapter.

The story of a rehabilitation
Last year, the rehabilitation works at Filesti tunnel have been developed in underground and have reached up to the platform of Trabsurb Company, where there is the bus garage. Presently, the works are unfolded at the surface: the workers of Galati rail region have also reassembled two main pipes for town water supply and a collecting channel for the residual waters, which have been removed during the execution time. Up to the time when they will resume the works in the tunnel in order to finalize the work, there should be solved the sewerage problem, in order to entirely rebuild the street and the platform of SC Transurb. With a bit of luck - seems that this year there will be allocated funds - the railway men from the banks of the Danube will succeed to continue the rehabilitation works at Filesti Tunnel.
Concomitantly with the big modernization programs of the railway stations buildings, that we have mentioned to you, the railway employees from Galati are also unfolding important rehabilitation programs at the tracks (a conclusive example being the railway section from Spicu to Murgeanca and Tandarei) at the track equipment, which will be achieved according to the European requirements. In the end, we could not miss a very important detail for the collective of Galati Rail Region, namely the fact that the documentation works have started off for the section that is part of the pan -European Corridor IX, for which ISPCF will elaborate the technical project.

Oana Branzan