The Ministry of Transport is trying to resolve the situation of the 21 PESA electric trains that have been sitting unused at Obor Station for months, despite being delivered. Interim Minister Radu Miruță announced on Wednesday that authorities will propose, within seven days, an additional act to temporarily allow the trains to enter into service.
The solution involves suspending payments related to maintenance obligations that the Polish manufacturer PESA has not yet fulfilled.
"Let's get the trains running," Miruță conveyed in a Facebook post after a meeting attended by representatives of PESA, CFR, the Railway Reform Authority (ARF), and officials from the Ministry of Transport.
"21 new trains left to fade in the sun"
The Minister said last week he found "21 new trains left to fade in the sun at Obor Station, instead of transporting passengers in decent conditions."
He claims that the current deadlock is the result of contractual and administrative issues that have not been resolved in time.
"We need to move things, penalize contract breaches, sanction, but not keep 21 new trains in the sun while people travel in old trains, holding their noses," Miruță stated.
According to him, after the Ministry of Transport sends the compromise proposal, the Polish company will have four more days to say if they accept the solution.
Maintenance hall problem
The situation was reported as early as April by the Pro Infrastructure Association, which accused that the new electric trains are "lying" at Obor Station due to the lack of maintenance infrastructure.
The Association explained that PESA has a contractual obligation to provide halls for the periodic maintenance of trains near centers like Bucharest, Iași, or Cluj-Napoca.
"PESA has been trying for months to gain access to them, but the trains are still at Obor where they sit idle and... wait," association representatives conveyed.
Contract worth nearly 2.8 billion lei
The contract between ARF and PESA for the purchase of 62 regional electric trains was signed in January 2024.
The trains consist of three cars and have:
- 160 seated places;
- 243 standing places;
- spaces for bicycles;
- dedicated places for persons with disabilities;
- Wi-Fi internet.
The trains can reach a maximum speed of 160 km/h.
The project is funded through the Modernization Fund and has a total value of nearly 2.8 billion lei.