The Authority for Railway Reform (ARF) in Romania has officially engaged a consortium consisting of TTL Planning and Systra to design an integrated national passenger rail timetable. According to Railway Gazette, this contract, valued at 10.5m lei (€2.1m), was signed on July 10 and establishes the framework for regular-interval passenger services across the country. The project is supported by the European Regional Development Fund as part of Romania’s 2021-27 Transport Programme.

The 24-month implementation period focuses on creating a demand-based service pattern that coordinates suburban, regional, inter-regional, and long-distance connections. The initiative centers on rail hubs including București, Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara, Iași, Constanța, Craiova, and Brașov.

### Project Specifications and Market Data

The consultancy work is divided into six primary packages, which include updating the National Transport Model using 2023 socio-economic data and performing comprehensive passenger mobility surveys. The ARF aims to use these findings to establish future public service obligation contracts covering the period from December 2027 to December 2042.

| Metric | Value | | :--- | :--- | | Contract Value | 10.5m lei (€2.1m) | | Implementation Period | 24 months | | 2024 Passenger Volume | 70.8 million | | 2024 Passenger-km | 5.94 billion | | Avg. Journey Length | 84 km (up 1.4%) | | Service Obligation Term | Dec 2027 – Dec 2042 |

Official data from Romania’s national statistics institute indicates that the rail sector moved 70.8 million passengers in 2024, a 4.7% decline from 2023. However, average journey lengths grew by 1.4% to 84 km. State-owned CFR Călători currently commands an 80 to 85% market share, competing alongside six independent operators: Regio Călători, Transferoviar Călători, Interregional Călători, Softrans, Astra Trans Carpatic, and Ferotrafic TFI.

## Why It Matters

The move toward a synchronized, demand-based timetable represents a shift from legacy scheduling toward modern European interoperability standards. By mandating that consultants train ARF staff to manage planning software independently, Romania is aiming to internalize the technical expertise required to scale rail capacity. This transition is essential for the government to move beyond fragmented service delivery, potentially attracting ridership back from private road transport and ensuring that future infrastructure investments, particularly those funded by the EU, yield measurable increases in network density and operational efficiency.