Gheorghe Popescu: For the railway people at the Galati Regional Company, the SNCFR reorganization meant a test of organization and adaptation to the new structure, a test of competence and maturity. For the management personnel, is we consider the extremely little time we had and the fact that regulations were worked out along the way, I think it was a test of management capacity.

R.J.: How is the cooperation between the Galati Company and the other companies spun off from the SNCFR?

G.P.: For all those who have understood well the purpose of the reorganization, the relationship between the regional company and local transport branches - SMF and SAAF - are normal, those of collaboration. As time passes, a type of contract relationship is gaining ground: any service must be quantified, evaluated and paid for. There are, of course, some frictions, generated especially by the way SNCFR patrimony has been distributed, but they can be overcome with wisdom and trust.

R.J.: How is activity at the regional company and what are the most difficult problems you have to solve?

G.P: considering the specific conditions we are working in, I consider the hardest period is already behind, and now we can go to a systematic enforcement of the strategy the CFR - SA management envisions. This mainly consists of putting an end to the degradation of railway infrastructure, its rehabilitation and modernization in order to serve clients - railway operators - in the best conditions possible.
There are problems that most regional companies face. Still, time matters to us: in the winter we face blizzards and frost, and in the summer we have very high temperatures. All these affect the functionality of lines and installations, as well as the traffic, which makes working conditions more difficult. Therefore, we must seriously prepare our activity, always adapt to environment conditions. In the actual state and under the existing circumstances, we are dealing with current problems. The future is conditioned by the certainty of financial resources and the decisions and programs the CFR - SA issues. We are trying to spend efficiently every leu and change the employees' mentality on the go. I particularly refer to those in the technical sector, who need to learn to think economically and efficiently.

R.J.: What are your future plans? What is the essence of the modernization programs?

G.P.: Modernization projects for the railway infrastructure in the Galati regional company are those established by the CFR - SA and the Transportation Ministry.
In the next years excepting capital repair programs and the acquisition of line maintenance equipment, there are no other programs The Galati company is not on the emergency list. Therefore, our major preoccupation is to stick to the maintenance and repairs schedule, in order to keep the current equipment functional.
As for the future, I would like the railway stations to look different, improve labor conditions, take the hand tool out of the workers' hands and replace it with modern equipment and machinery, increasing labor productivity. And, not least, I want the railway worker to become a recognized member of the society, a fact reflected in his or her salary, obtained through hard and honest work.

R.J.: As a conclusion, we would like to hear several works on what work at the CFR means for you.

G.P.: For me, since I graduated, work has been a way of life. I have treated my obligations and work duties with dedication and seriousness, regardless of my position, even if it has sometimes taken personal sacrifice. But I can say I have had my satisfactions in achieving the targets I have set ahead.

Interviewed by Imola Handra