International CFR relationships

A proficient centralization system for CFR-SA

During last years the Romanian railway system underwent a series of extremely important changes that manifested organization-wise as well as on a technical stratum that includes: infrastructure, rolling stock, telecommunications and others.
The ample modernization program of railway infrastructure is in full bloom and CFR SA is taking great pains to insure the smooth running of this program that is considered a primordial part of the integration process that will include CFR in the European railway network.
This modernization process regards primarily the sections on Romanian territory that are a part of European transport corridors. Presently, special attention is paid to the section Curtici-Arad-Brasov-Bucharest-Constanta, a part of the 4th Trans-European Corridor. Evolving the section to European standards of the said section is closely monitored by the European Commission. The Commission is directly involved and provided important funds to the railway department through the FARE National Program. In the same category falls the project regarding the modernization of centralization installations in the stations Arad, Timisoara and Brasov (FARE project RO 9604-01-02).
The objective of this project is introducing centralized command systems for the contiguous circulation of trains on some of the largest stations and nodal points on the national railway network. A group of specialists from CFR SA worked in collaboration with FARE representatives to produce the necessary documentation and validation conditions for bids. It was sought that the auction be accessible to all companies whose authority and experience are notable on a European level. Another condition that the companies had to fulfill concerned their capacity to provide a centralization system that will be operative and flexible for functioning in large stations (over 100 switches). This condition was imposed because in the eventuality of a failure on behalf of the system, the old centralization system will be impossible to bring back on line.
The delegation of the European commission in Bucharest and representatives of the FARE program from Brussels monitored the auction to insure that it will be held in strict concurrence with FARE regulations. Due to the complexity and novelty of the technical specifications as well as the contract’s value, it was normal that such strict monitoring be effected by the said European institutions. Moreover, to insure the elimination of all doubts regarding the accuracy of the evaluation processes it was decided that works of the analysis commission would be held at the headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels.
On October 16, 2000, the opening session of the bid took place. The following companies participated: ALCATEL, SEL AG, SIEMENS AG, ALSTOM, ADTYRANZ and ANSALDO. The evaluation commission - composed of six voting members (of which three were from CFR SA), a president and a secretary (without the right to vote) analyzed in concordance with FARE procedures the manner in which bids were presented by the participating companies. On this occasion, special attention was paid to the manner in which the proposed solutions will conform to technical specifications imposed by CFR SA. The stations targeted by this procedure - Arad, Timisoara and Brasova are major nodal points of the CFR network and upon implementation of the new system, all railway traffic must be conducted in optimal circumstances.
Dusting the evaluation process the bidders had the obligation to forward all specifications regarding the duration of the execution and the training of the attending personnel and also the flexibility regarding ulterior development and spare parts supply.
Representatives of CFR SA undertook all efforts to shorten the stages as much as possible in order to insure the quick signing of the contract with the winner of the bid, in conformity with the financing memo closed between the EU Commission and the Romanian Government - December 31. 2000.

Data compiled by Silvia Mitulescu
in collaboration with the International Relationships Department
of CFR SA.