CFR SA, Among the Best Companies in the World

CFR SA Receives the Award for Excellency and Business Prestige

On July 14, 2003, in New York, the prestigious association Business Initiative Directions (BID) has organized the awarding ceremony of the International Prizes for Excellency and Business Prestige. Among those that the International Selection Committee has considered this year ready from the awarding criteria point of view has been also included the national Romanian Railway Company "CFR" SA, which has been awarded with the above-mentioned prize, "Golden Category".

BID - Pioneer in the standardization of the quality in corporate communication
The Business Initiative Directions (BID) promote the Culture of the Quality, in 166 countries, organization awarding for Excellency and Business Prestige. BID presents as a pioneer in the field of corporate communication quality, establishing the framework where those that are integrated in a company that is going to unite its forces in work relations. This fact allowed the organization to reach two main objectives: the development and the implementation around the world of one of the most advanced systems for the management quality, where there are established the directional lines of this process, as well as the creation of a prize immediately symbolizing the success of the company in the promotion of the quality. In the over 25 years since there are granted this kind of prizes, the great companies of the world have been awarded for the efforts made for the improvement of the management quality.
Starting with year 2002, National Romanian Railway Company "CFR" SA has entered in "the collimator" of BID audit, and there should have been established if the current production process corresponds with the organization's standards. According to the assessments performed by the International Selection Committee of BID, made of representatives of great companies and prestigious specialists, there has been decided that at The VIIIth Quality Summit CFR SA Company will be awarded with the prize for Excellency and Business Prestige, Golden Category.
"National Romanian Railway Company "CFR" SA, in the perspective of integrating in the European Union and of harmonizing to the European standards of quality regarding the railway transport in safety and security conditions, proposes to permanently improve the transports activity on the railways through an efficient administration of the infrastructure capacities, raising the performances of the track parameters and of the afferent equipment at the level of the European requirements and by providing their compatibility with the equipment of the railway operators.
We propose, in this respect, to permanently improve the activity of transport on the railways by an efficient administration of the infrastructure capacities", Mr. Mihai Necolaiciuc, the president of the company, has declared.

Safety in the railway transport, through quality
The policies for respecting and improving the quality of the railway network represent important points in the development strategy of CFR SA. Therefore, the company is permanently concerned to improve Romanian railway transport by watching the current and general overhauls and the modernization programs for the tracks, as well as the improvement of the comfort from the railway stations.
Due to the programs developed together with the Ministry of Transports, Constructions and Tourism, the company presently offers a railway network at European level. "The implementation and the respecting of the international quality standards will further on remain a priority for all the companies subordinated to the ministry that I manage. The events that have lately took place demonstrate de efficiency of the modernization policy within CFR", Mr. Miron Mitrea, the minister, has appreciated. "The recent selection in the Executive Committee of the International Union of the Railways, and the acceptance within CER and, now, the awarding with the quality management prize reflects the steps made in order to improve the railway system from our country", he has continued.
The multiple modernization plans of the infrastructure from the railway sector - the rehabilitation of Bucharest - Campina railway section, afferent to the pan-European Corridor IV; modernization works at the main railway stations in the country, in order to bring them to the level of eurostation; the modernization of the signaling system and of the railway traffic management etc - reflect this desire of CFR management to raise the quality and safety standards on the railways.

Railway transport, an ecological transport
All these modernization directions do not exclude a very important component, generally - the ecological component. Appreciated as one of the less polluting systems, the railway transport continues to be improved in this respect. "The quality management policy will permanently integrate the environment management policy. This is an integrated part of the quality system that is implemented in the activity of our company, according to the International standard model ISO 9001/2000, being included among the main advantages of the railway transport, represented by the increased safety of the traffic and the most ecological transport system", Mr. Mihai Necolaiciuc has declared.
Therefore, for example, the building program along the railways of the protection walls will allow the reduction, in the near future, of the sound pollution in the localities that are crossed by the railways. Concomitantly, this system will protect the railways of the eventual household and industrial wastes spilled by people in conflict with the hygiene and civilization norms.
The improvement of the infrastructure through the above-mentioned works has allowed, at national level, the introduction of certain new types of rolling stock - the motorcars, which have a more reduced consumption of gas and, implicitly, issue less toxic emissions. "The introduction of the intercity trains, the Blue Arrow offers to Romania a modern, European image of the railway transports, providing fast links between the great urban centers of the country. And that, without neglecting their substantial support in the fight of protecting the environment", Mr. Miron Mitrea, the minister of transport, has appreciated.

Excellency Award - a new challenge for CFR SA
"Granting the International Award for Excellency and Business Prestige to the National Romanian Railway Company "CFR" SA offers it a new challenge with regard to the maintenance and the improvement of quality standards. During the next period, the company should closely watch this process, so that at the next edition it should get on the next stage - the "Diamond Category". By the enforcement of the Quality Management System there is aimed at an efficient use of the human, material and energetic resources, by respecting the contractual clauses, in order to fully satisfy the demands of our customers. The responsibility for the implementation and the maintenance of the present policy is assigned to the Quality Council, managed by the general director of the company, while its materialization is based on the responsibility of each employee regarding the liabilities that they are assigned with for the provision of the quality at the place of work and for respecting the present policy in the quality field", Mr. Mihai Necolaiciuc, the general director of CFR SA, has concluded.

Oana Branzan