Transport in Romania

Transport in Romania
Roads Automobiles Railways Metro Civil Aviation
Companies
CFR Metrorex TAROM Blue Air Carpatair Poşta Română

All transportation infrastructure in Romania is the property of the state, and is administered by the Ministry of Transports, Constructions and Tourism, except when operated as a concession, in which case the concessions are made by the Ministry of Administration and Interior.

Roads and automotive transport

Main article: Roads in Romania

Romania's road network with proposed motorways in orange

According to CIA Factbook, Romania total road network is estimated to be 198,817 km long, out of which 60,043 km are paved and 138,774 km (2004) are unpaved. The World Bank estimates that the road network that is outside of cities and communes (i.e. excluding streets and village roads) is about 78,000 km long.

Motorways

As of December 2011, 390 km are already in use.The construction of an extensive motorway network is among the top priorities for the government. At present 434  km of motorways are under construction with an estimated timetable in 2013-2016. Currently under construction is A1 Motorway part of the Pan European IV Corridor. Also under construction are parts of A3 - Autostrada Transilvania, which is the largest motorway project in Europe with a length of 588 km from Bucharest to Oradea (near the Hungarian border). This project is expected to be completed by 2018.This project has been renegotiated with Behtel which will finish a remaining 64 km that were started. The rest will be reauctioned and as a result of renegotiations with the EU, the remaining segments will receive funds from the EU. This is due to the cancelation of the Behtel contract which was extremely expensive. Other motorways projects under construction include: Cernavodă–Medgidia (19 km) and Medgidia–Constanța (32 km), part of the A2 (Autostrada Soarelui) motorway.

Timişoara–Arad (32 km) and Arad's ring-road (12 km), part of the A1 motorway (Bucharest–Nădlac) are another projects estimated to be completed in 2011.In the same year, Constanța's ring-road should be ready.

In order to complete another 100 km of motorway by end of 2010, Romanian Government struggled to allocate the necessary funds for 55 km motorway, part of the Bucharest–Ploieşti motorway (from a total of 62 km). The newest motorways that have been opened are Sibiu ring road (17,5 km) and another 27.4 km from Autostrada Transilvania.

Road traffic

According to europaworld.com, in 2004 in Romania there were:

• 3,225,000 automobiles
• 43,000 buses and coaches
• 482,000 lorries and vans
• 235,000 motorcycles and mopeds

In 2010, an estimated 4,3 million automobiles existed in Romania.

Rail transport

Main article: Rail transport in Romania

Map of Romania's railway system

Metro

Main article: Bucharest Metro

Bucharest is known to be the only city in Romania which as of 2009 has an underground railway system, comprising both the Bucharest Metro and the light rail system Regia Autonomă de Transport Bucureşti. Although construction was planned to begin in 1941, due to geo-political factors, the Bucharest Metro was only opened in 1979. Now it is one of the most accessed systems of the Bucharest public transport network with an average of 800,000 passengers during the workweek. In total, the network is 67 km long and has 49 stations.

Some proposals have been made about building a metro networks in some of the other largest cities in the country, such as one in Cluj-Napoca, and in Brașov.

Rail links with adjacent countries

• Bulgaria - yes - crossings at Giurgiu and Negru Vodă. Daily passenger service to Sofia and beyond (Athens and Istanbul) from Bucharest. No voltage issues (crossings are not electrified).
• Hungary - yes - Multiple crossings (from North to South - Carei, Valea lui Mihai, Episcopia Bihor, Salonta, Curtici). Multiple daily passenger frequencies to Budapest and beyond (Vienna, Prague) from Bucharest, Ploiești and from many cities within Transylvania. No voltage issues, both railroad systems electrified at 25 kV, 50 Hz AC (electrified crossing at Curtici/Lokoshaza only).
• Serbia - yes - crossings at Jimbolia and Stamora Moraviţa. Daily service from Bucharest to Belgrade via Timişoara. No voltage issues (crossings are not electrified).
• Moldova - yes - Break-of-gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in)/1,520 mm (4 ft 11 ⁵⁄₆ in). Crossings and bogie changers exist at Ungheni–Prut and Galaţi–Reni. No voltage issues (None of the tracks of the Moldovan Railways are electrified). Daily passenger service to Chişinău from Bucharest. Multiple daily services from Iași.
• Ukraine - yes - Break-of-gauge 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in)/1,520 mm (4 ft 11 ⁵⁄₆ in). Crossings at Vicşani, Valea Vişeului and Câmpulung-la-Tisa (including bogie conversion systems). Dual gauge track exists between Tereseva (Ukraine)/Câmpulung-la-Tisa - Sighetu Marmaţiei - Valea Vişeului, going back into Ukraine. Ukrainian trains (both freight and passenger services) occasionally use this route without stopping within Romania. International passenger services exists between Bucharest and Kiev (and onwards to Moscow) via Vicşani (operated by CFR, with UZ and RZD cars) and between Sighetu Marmaţiei and Tereseva (operated by UZ). No voltage issues (crossings are not electrified).

Air transport

Main article: Aviation in Romania

According to Eurostat ([1]), 6,908,599 passengers were transported by commercial aircraft in 2007, an increase of 41% from 2006.

Airports

There are 61 airports in Romania (estimated as of 2006).

• Airports - with paved runways : 25
  • Runways over 3,047 m: 5
  • Runways from 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8
  • Runways from 1,524 to 2,437 m: 12

• Airports - with unpaved runways : 36
  • Runways from 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
  • Runways from 914 to 1,523 m: 11
  • Runways under 914 m: 23

• Heliports 1 (2006)

Water transport

Ports

Main article: List of ports in Romania

• with terminals
  • Port of Constanța (the largest port and shipyard in the Black Sea and one of the busiest ports in Europe)
  • Port of Galaţi (on the Danube)
  • Brăila (on the Danube)
  • Tulcea (on the Danube)

• Other Black Sea ports:
  • Mangalia
  • Sulina
  • Năvodari

• Other ports on the Danube:
  • Giurgiu
  • Drobeta-Turnu Severin
  • Olteniţa

• Ports on the Danube-Black Sea Canal:
  • Cernavodă
  • Poarta Albă
  • Constanța Sud
  • Agigea

See also: Romanian river ports

Waterways

As of 2006, there are 1,731 km of navigable waterways of which:

• 1,075 km on Danube River
• 524 km on secondary branches
• 132 km on canals

In 2004, according to europaworld.com, 19 million passenger-km and 4 billion ton-km were carried through these waterways.

Merchant fleet

The merchant marine has seen a dramatic drop in capacity over the past decade:

• from 142 ships (1,000 gross register tons (GRT) or over) totaling 1,154,127 GRT/1,612,314 metric tons deadweight (DWT) 1999
• to 19 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 146,307 GRT/165,548 DWT in 2007.

These include: 13 cargo ships, 1 passenger ship, 2 passenger/cargo ships, 2 petroleum tankers, 1 roll-on/roll-off.

50 other ships are registered in other countries: Cambodia 1, Georgia 15, North Korea 6, Malta 10, Marshall Islands 1, Panama 8, Sierra Leone 2, St Kitts and Nevis 1, St Vincent and The Grenadines 1, Syria 4, Tuvalu 1, unknown 4.

International sea-borne freight traffic

• goods loaded: 18.2 million tons
• goods unloaded: 22.3 million tons (2004)

Pipelines

• Oil: 2,427 km
• Natural gas: 3,508 km (2006)

External links

• Prediction of Romanian infrastructure.
• Trains Timetable of Romania
• Bus Timetable of Romania
• Bucharest Airport Henri Coanda
• Cluj-Napoca International Airport
• Timisoara Airport Traian Vuia
• Luxury Taxi Transportation
• Airport transfers in Romania