Alstom secures contract for Bucharest-Giurgiu railway line upgrade
The company will handle ERTMS Level 2 deployment, digital train control implementation, and electrification works.
Alstom has received a contract to modernise the Bucharest-Giurgiu railway line in Romania, focusing on the implementation of ERTMS Level 2 signalling and electrification.
The project, valued at approximately €450m ($526.5m), with Alstom contributing around 25%, aims to improve capacity, energy efficiency, and service reliability on Romania’s first railway line, which was inaugurated in 1869.
The Bucharest-Giurgiu railway line serves as a vital link to the Rhine-Danube pan-European Corridor and connects Romania with Southeast European countries, including Bulgaria, Greece, and Türkiye, via the Friendship Bridge.
The project encompasses the modernisation of 93.45km of railway line, connecting Bucharest North, Jilava, Giurgiu North, and the Giurgiu border.
Key components of the upgrade include electrification, infrastructure and superstructure enhancements, signalling and telecommunication systems, along with civil works.
The improvements will enable a maximum operational speed of 160km/h.
The agreement was formalised between the Asocierea RailWorks consortium, which includes Alstom and Arcada, and CFR, the state-owned rail infrastructure operator in Romania.
The contract stipulates a 36-month timeline for both design and execution phases, with the civil works to be managed by the Romanian company Arcada.
Alstom’s responsibilities will include the deployment of ERTMS Level 2, the implementation of a digital train control solution, and the electrification works, which will involve power supply and overhead contact line installations.
Alstom Romania, Bulgaria, and the Republic of Moldova managing director Gabriel Stanciu said: “This new contract consolidates Alstom’s leading position on the Romanian railway market, for both signalling and electrification and will help revitalise a true historical railway milestone.
“It will be another significant achievement for our growing team of over 230 highly qualified engineers, whose expertise supports both our local and our international projects.”
In August this year, Alstom unveiled the design of the Traxx Universal electric locomotive for the Romanian Railway Reform Authority (ARF), building on a contract established in 2024.
