“ I will continue my collaboration with CFR SA”

Interview with Teodor Gradinariu, expert for the UIC Infrastructure Department

 

Railway Journal: What can you tell us about your new position?
Teodor Gradinariu: Starting with November 1st I am an expert for the Infrastructure Department of UIC (International Railway Union). UIC is an association founded in 1992 and its main objectives are promoting cooperation among its members with a view to develop railway transportation and bettering the exploitation. What we would like on a European level is to achieve a coherence of the railway system to attain inter-operational workflow and also to improve competition on international railway traffic. At that same time UIC promotes technologies and modern methods for railway management, issues norms and recommendations that have to be upheld. It can interfere with exterior associations in order to protect common interests for railways, applies studies in the field of railway transportation and favors the information exchange among members.
As an expert at the Infrastructure Department of UIC I am a sort of councilor of the director of the said department who deals with problems related to UIC infrastructure and traffic projects management.
RJ: What is your new task?
TG: A professional achievement. This position practically allows me to use the technical experience I accumulated over the years. This can only be one step forward and an opening towards the new. This association approaches issues on a global level because it works with all railway networks. I will need first a time for documentation. I am not totally unaware of the problems involved as I had contact with the UIC issues as a technical director of the Technical Department of CFR SA. I can say I am familiar with most of the projects but I am sure new issues will appear.
RJ: Do you believe your position with UIC an advantage for CFR SA?
TG: I believe so because I will be able to feed the company information about European trends. Having an insight on issues involving Romania both financially and personnel - wise will provide the basis for a better cooperation regarding UIC projects and research.
RJ: Am I to understand that at the Technical Department of CFR SA you finalized all projects you started?
TG: During the time I occupied the position of technical director of the Technical Department of CFR SA I was involved in a number of projects and some of them had to be passed over to my successor. I am pleased though that I brought an important contribution to many of these projects.
RJ: Can you mention a few of these projects?
TG: I tried mainly to bring uniformity to the way we promoted work at RK, - chiefly to standardize the RK plan and the investment plan. Then there are the works related to the rehabilitation of pan-European corridors that meant as much as 50% of the direction’s preoccupations. I have to say that after the annulment of a bid on the 4th Corridor purposed to obtain a loan of Euro 200 million for the Bucharest-Brasov section I organized an auction. I segregated the works on specialties and drew the task-books. Bids are ongoing. We already have a winner and I am proud to say I made a difference after two years of stagnation due to causes exterior to CFR SA. I must also add that the task-books were drawn according to the latest developments and we tried adapting to technological accomplishments of European level. We already started organizing ISPA - the pre-adhesion funds coming in as grants for the railway on the section Bucharest Baneasa - Fundulea. Another project was starting negotiations with the Japanese Bank of International Cooperation for the 4th Corridor on the Bucharest-Constanta section. Next year the contract will be signed and we will receive a grant of $243 million. I am also pleased with the finalization of the feasibility study for the Curtici-Deva-Simeria section - w fact that is a great opportunity for the financing line on the 4th Pan-European Corridor. These are in the great majority the projects related to external financing. I can also mention the promotion of the new in our department. We set up Stdu and Research services, Strategy, Development and we brought in specialists capable of promoting new things. We were able to start a pilot installation for counting on axes that will replace many workers in the future and it will be used in stations without an automated line block. This pilot station was rigged on the Sibot -Orastie segment. I must also mention the fact that by the end of this year we will replace the selector section of the CED installation with a computer operated selector. Regarding the introduction of computers, we offered to each employee access to email and Internet.
RJ: We have here many projects that bear your signature. What will happen in the future with those that are not completed yet?
TG: They will be continued by my replacement but I will keep in contact with the team via email. I will try to keep up to date as I am bound to them as I am to the CFR.
I also wish to say that the fact I will be there at UIC is most important to CFR SA as I will know the problems of the other railway administrations, development directions and why not plans for the future.
RJ: We wish you luck!
TG: Thank you.

Oana Bran reporting