According to Minister Miron Mitrea, since 2002
WE WILL TRAVEL IN MODERNIZED COACHES

The project called "The modernization of 100 coaches" is part of an assembly of programs regarding the rehabilitation of Romanian railways, inter-conditioned financed by BIRD, ERDB and EU-PHARE. In 1997, after an international auction, evaluated by a committee including the representatives of the Ministry of Transports, the Ministry of Finance and the former SNCFR, the assigned firm was Alstom De Dietrich Feroviare, from France. At the beginning of this month, in Gara de Nord railway station in Bucharest an introduction action has been organized, in which Miron Mitrea has inspected the first modernized train set based on a 57 million USD contract dealt with the French firm Alstom DDF. "The project, which foresees the modernization works and the general overhaul works of 100 coaches, will be executed in Romania by Astra Vagoane Calatori Arad and CFR Grivita Workshops companies. They will operate as sub-contractors of Alstom DDF, using the equipment and the components imported from France, Germany and other European countries as well as Romanian equipment", declared the minister. The program will be finished in September 2002 and it aims the modernization of 10 trains, having 10 coaches each, the first of them being supposed to be put into operation on April, next year. After a tough period of time, in which the production almost stagnated, Astra Vagoane Arad company manages, through this project, to emerge and to present something that we haven't hoped to accomplish this year. The minister specified in this respect: "This way we managed to prove that we are able to prepare and to produce these coaches in the Romanian companies, and starting with the next year we will find the balance regarding the coaches' modernization and rehabilitation. In the last few years, SNTFC "CFR Calatori " chose a strategy, also used successfully by other European railway administrations, regarding the general overhaul with the reconstruction of rolling stock of CFR (240 coaches, until now), and the reconstruction of the 20-47, 20-57,19-57 series of coaches. The initiation of the reconstruction program for the coaches also represents the beginning of the assimilation, in the relationship with the industrial units from Romania, of a series of equipment for which in the last 9 years there were no other suppliers or which were excelled technically speaking. Among them we can mention windows, access and intercommunication doors, corridor and compartment doors, static supplying sources etc. The first modern train that will operate on the Romanian Railways will be composed, according to the general manager of CFR Calatori, Mr. Valentin Bota, by 3 first class coaches, 6 second class coaches and a restaurant, and the locomotive. The coaches that are to be used for the internal traffic will be able to circulate at a 200 km/h speed. The electric equipment will have a high technological level, and inside arrangements will be similar to the European ones (conditioned air, fixed windows, sound installations, individual armchairs, small tables etc.). In the same time, the trains will have new types of compartments, where the children will have special armchairs and where the businessmen will be able to use the laptop (business salon). These sub-assemblies are meeting the European requirements in this domain, being defined based on the technical specifications of UIC, creating the guarantee that in the future there will be a fleet of coaches that will provide to the passengers excellent travelling conditions. The modernization program will continue in the next years because these are the trains that will operate in the near future on our railway, besides the motor cars and electric train sets. Mr. Valentin Bota underlined the fact that the above-mentioned rolling stock will be the one that will endow the Romanian Railways, "January 2002 being the month in which we will have the occasion to see the first two types of motor cars that will operate on our railway".

Magda Olaru