3. LRT NETWORKS IN ROMANIA

Railway Pro Technology & Services Forum
Romanian Tramway Systems
Between Past and Future
dr.ing. István CSUZI
Oradea Transport Local SA - Romania
director general
Buzău, 24-25 February, 2016
1. INTRODUCTION:
Tramways in Romania:
 11 cities operate tramways: Bucharest, Oradea, Timişoara, Arad, Cluj, Craiova,
Ploieşti, Brăila, Galaţi, Botoşani, Iaşi
 4 cities stop LRT: Constanţa (2003), Braşov (2006), Sibiu (2009) , Reşiţa (2010)
Fig. 1: Tramway networks cities
on the map of the new defined
development regions of Romania
(source: Ministry of Development –
MDRAP Bucharest)
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2. BYLAWS AND RULES FOR PT IN ROMANIA:
Public Transport (PT) Laws:
 EU Regulation 1370/2007 gives the basic rules of PT approach for EU members, in
Romania harmonization of local law with this EU Directive has been made partially
 The bylaw of PT in Romania is based on Law 92/2007 regulating the service for the
local authorities (other: O.G. 27/2011, Normative M.I.R.A. 353/2007, M.T.I. 980/2011).
 Regulation are not clear, it’s a synchronization dysfunction between Transport and
Development Ministry (differences: L. 51/2006, L.215/2006, A.N.R.S.C. 272/2007…).
 The service of local PT in Romania decreased from 115 cities in start of 90’-s to 85 in
the end of 2014. Necessity to increase level of PT until 2025 ( UITP: PTx2 until 2025).
 The infrastructure of electric transport decreased in the last 15 years with 10% for
tram systems and 51% for trolleybuses, number of vehicles also decreased by 25%.
 The political and financial problems with supporting PT in Romania are caused by
discrepancies in expense and revenue balances of PT companies between Romania
and Western Europe. Romanian transport companies handle the same costs
infrastructure and fleet renewal costs as their Western European counterparts, while
they generate much lower revenues due to substantially lower ticket prices and
median salaries.
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3. LRT NETWORKS IN ROMANIA: Bucharest
BUCHAREST, the capital of Romania has more than 2.000.000 inhabitants, it’s one of
the most important metropolis in South-East Europe.
RATB-Regia Autonomă de Transport Bucureşti - operate the surface PT (trams, trolleys,
buses) and METROREX is the once underground metro line operator in Romania.
Fig. 2: A rare picture only to
remember the ’80-s! There were
hard times, not only for transport …
(source: RATB archive)
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3. LRT NETWORKS IN ROMANIA: Bucharest
Transport type
Tramway
Trolley
Buses
Number of Vehicles
481
297
1.147
Network
134
69
400
Lines
Depot
23
17
106
Table 1: Today’s statistics of RATB - Bucharest PT in numbers
Power Stations
8
4
8
30
8
-
(source: RATB archive)
A case of success, tram line 41 in Bucharest was modernized in 2002, followed by line
32 in 2003. Short technical presentation: track length – 10,2 km double track, two
multi-modal terminals, seven power sub-stations, twelve stations.
The commercial speed increased
from 14 to 25 km/h, reducing travel
time almost 30%...
Fig. 3: Line 32 and 41 on RATB network map
(source: www.ratb.ro)
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3. LRT NETWORKS IN ROMANIA: Bucharest
Fig. 4. Pictures from Line 41: Track on ballast platform (segregate area) , Track used bridge and tunnels, Overhead
contact line – tensioned at 10kN (contact wire and messenger wire), Multimodal terminal for trams and buses
(source: RATB archive)
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3. LRT NETWORKS IN ROMANIA: Bucharest
Between 2000 and 2004 locally built trams V3A were modernized for light rail line.
After modernization of TATRA T4R tram, fourth prototype was called BUCUR 1. As a
last development BUCUR LF is the new tram designed and manufactured in RATB
plants. At the moment 13 pc. BUCUR LF are operating in Bucharest.
Width
2.450 mm
Height
3.500 mm
Length
25.390 mm
Weight of the empty wagon
36 t
Weight with maximum load
53 t
Ground clearance
min.100 mm
Seating places
43
Total no. of passengers
(6 pas./m2)
220
Wheelchair place
Number of doors and aperture
1
41305mm and 2 650mm
Table 2: General technical data of BUCUR LF and his transport
capacity
(source: RATB archive)
Fig. 5: BUCUR 1 and BUCUR LF
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3. LRT NETWORKS IN ROMANIA: Bucharest
A lot of investments were finished during last years, one of them being the bridge
passage “BASARAB”, near the Bucharest North Railway Station, connecting high
densities districts by a tram line with the most important rail and underground hub in
a modern interchange.
The development strategy of RATB for the next 10 years, approved in 2010 has the
elements of the next SUMP for Bucharest, which will be elaborated until March 2016
by an international expert team. The European Bank of Reconstruction and
Development (EBRD) granted the financing of the project to elaborate the eight SUMP
for the capitals of the development regions of Romania.
Fig. 6: Bucharest: Passage “BASARAB” , two section - day and night
(source: RATB archive)
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3. LRT NETWORKS IN ROMANIA: Oradea
Oradea is the first city which has prepared his own SUMP elaborated in 2014.
The rolling stock renewal will be the next periods challenge for PT operator and local
decision makers.
Oradea had the first new foreign trams in Romania after many decades, the 10
pieces of Siemens ULF151 which were bought in 2009 by the Municipality.
The main measure proposed by SUMP is the extension of tram lines to South
Commercial Centers, near Airport, also connecting the University to the City Center.The red line shows the actual
network of tramways in Oradea,
the blue line represents the
proposed extension of tracks
lines of near future, measure
included also in SUMP and City
General Development Strategy.
Fig. 7: Proposed track lines extension
(source: OTL SA archive)
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3. LRT NETWORKS IN ROMANIA: Oradea
Since the local funds were insufficient to acquire new trams, and the possibilities to
access reimbursable funds (EU or others) were very, the only chance is to modernize
the existing fleet (traction system by asynchronous motors with brake energy recovery,
facelift, etc…). All can be done through the results of a completed EU project, the
“Mechatronica” Laboratory for PT safety owned by OTL SA (~4.000.000 Euro)
Other EU projects:
(more than 500.000 Euro)
-A.T.T.A.C. : 9 cities from 7
countries with the leader
Miskolc (HU): SUMP approve,
extending E-ticketing system.
CROSSTRANS: traffic studies
OSIRIS- energy efficiency
Fig. 8: Presentation of “PT Safety Lab.” at
58-th LRT meeting in Oradea (March 2014)
(source: UITP-LRT Committee archive)
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3. LRT NETWORKS IN ROMANIA: Oradea
Evolution of LRT networks in Romania is not an easy story! To understand why it’s likely
a miracle, that have lot of operators who kept the tramways in service, see next figures
as a typical example of destruction of a network in Oradea. After opening in 1906
there were 19 km of track, the maximum track length was reached in the “golden age”
of trams in Oradea at the end of 50’-s, the 11 passenger lines and the industrial
connection between factories were up than 75 km!
Fig. 9: Oradea – Chronology map of track demolishing and the actual technical map of tram lines
(source: OTL SA archive)
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3. LRT NETWORKS IN ROMANIA: Oradea
Year Location
Length of
track lines
involved
Value of
investment
-approx. Euro -
Rebuilt infrastructure and track lines
(partially “ORTEC” and encased
concrete)
9.700 m
5.500.000
Change the track lines
Change infrastructure (concrete
sleepers system)
1.700 m
320.000
OTL
6.700 m
1.100.000
Municipality
85 stations
900.000
Municipality
1.000 m
250.000
OTL
1.100 m
2.100.000
60% Mun.- 40% OTL
Description of investment
2003
Republicii and Decebal boulevard
2006 (partially)
between Railway Station and Olosig
2005 intersection
2005
Magheru and Cantemir boulevard
2007
Financed
by:
PPP
(private companies credit the
Municipality for 8 years)
2009 Aradului and Lipovei street
Tram platform adaptation for Low
Floor trams (Siemens ULF 151- low
ground clearance = 17 cm!!!)
Renew track lines
Civic Center -Cantemir-“Cele
2010 3 Crisuri” str, including Dacia Bridge
Redesign and built new tram
intersection (“EDILON SEDRA”)
2011 Sinteza industrial area
Change track lines
250 m
100.000
OTL
2012 Junction (loop) Pod CFR
Change track lines and 2 switches
150 m
75.000
OTL
1.600 m
300 m
30.000
100.000
OTL
OTL
1.000 m
1.100.000
Municipality
2008 85 tram station in Oradea
Decebal and Republicii (partially)
2013
2014 Intersection Dacia-Transylvania
boulevard
2015 Unirii square and Independentei
street
Binding and refurbishing track lines
Renew track lines
Renew track lines and all including
infrastructures (“EDILON SEDRA”)
Table 3: Last twelve years LRT infrastructure investments in Oradea
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3. LRT NETWORKS IN ROMANIA: Oradea
New vehicles from 2008: Bank credit from EIB & DEXIA in amount of 33.000.000 euro
for 10 trams and 20 buses. OTL introduced in 2009 a GPS based performance fleet
management, on-line passenger info system (700.000 euro), in 2013 an RFID card
based e-ticketing system (400.000 euro), in 2014 a lot of maintenance equipments
through PT Safety Laboratory (by EU project funding 4.000.000 euro), in 2015 the
extension of e-ticketing in Metropolitan area (by EU project funding 250.000 euro).
Fig.10: SIEMENS ULF 151 in City Center,
worked from 2008 in Oradea
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3. LRT NETWORKS IN ROMANIA: other networks
The authorities argued that it was very expensive to maintain the tracks- during ’70’80-s the fuel being more accessible, the technologies for electricity were not very
efficient, the tram systems were not enough flexible than the bus systems, and for
short period the cost analysis showed an advantage for buses.
The measure to take out the trams from the streets was agreed also by citizens,
most of them “understand” by this their freedom to have their own car, to use it
everywhere and anytime. Only during last ten years authorities (national and local)
have begun to understand, that the environmental criteria must be a maximum
priority, the traffic congestion can cause a highly degradation of life quality in the city
and prioritizing the PT, especially the electric PT being the biggest challenge for anyone
in the future.
The tramway operators and authorities had and have big challenges on three main
issues:
increased maintenance costs due to fleet age, obsolescence and LCCM strategies;
„excessive” electricity bills, energy efficiency measures, optimizing consumption;
low passenger comfort in our “free market” conditions (not a loyal concurrency by
private bus operators (parallel bus lines with tram lines, tax evasion, no respect for
rules)
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3. LRT NETWORKS IN ROMANIA: other networks
City
Start
Network (km)
Trams
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS
Bucharest
1894
134,0
481
Partly reconstructed, projects in progress, 13 new tram built in
own factory (BUCUR LF: 2011-2015), V3A- locally made (>30
year old) , TATRA (>35 year old) trams
Oradea
1906
39,86
68
Renew in progress (75-80% finished), 10 new tram SIEMENS
ULF151 (2009), modernized TATRA (25-35 years old)
Timişoara
1899
90,7
93
Reconstruction under analysis, tram modernization in progress
– 2x ARMONIA TM (2015), old trams (>30 year)
Arad
1913
130,8
120
Reconstruction of tracks end in 2014 (>20km), 6 new tram
SIEMENS-ASTRA IMPERIO (2014), old TATRA-gauge 1000mmm
Cluj
1987
23,7
37
Continuing the reconstruction of track line (>22km), 4 new
tram PESA SWING (2013), rest TATRA (old >30-40year)
Brăila
1900
49,15
29
“Fight to survive”, second hand old trams
Galaţi
1900
34,85
57
“Fight to survive”, second hand old trams
Iaşi
1900
98,5
141
Reconstruction started 5 years ago (>25km), the end 2016 (?)…
trams are TATRA -gauge 1000mm (second hand)
Botoşani
1991
15,8
31
“Fight to survive”, second hand old trams
Craiova
1987
18,4
27
Reconstruction project started, new trams-2017 (?)
Ploieşti
1987
20,6
33
under reconstruction, reopen in 2016 (?), new trams(?)
Table 4: Information about Romanian Municipalities where operate tramways (2015)
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3. LRT NETWORKS IN ROMANIA: other networks
 Iaşi: one TATRA tram modernized, but the project stopped. The tram have a lot of
technical problem, most of time stay blocked in garage (last 6 month unmoved!).
 Timişoara: tram ARMONIA TM is part of the project of 30 tram renewal in amount
of 15.000.000 euro (first prototypes had a cost of 486.000 euro).
 The following figures show some relevant pictures from Romanian LRT systems,
congestions and blockage of tramways in traffic:
Fig. 11: BRĂILA– Old trams in work (1959)
Fig. 12: GALAŢI– tram TATRA KT4 (1978)
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3. LRT NETWORKS IN ROMANIA: other networks
Fig. 13: TIMISOARA– tram ARMONIA TM (2015)
Fig. 15: ARAD– tram ASTRA IMPERIO (2015)
Fig. 14: ORADEA – SIEMENS ULF 151 (2009)
Fig. 16: CLUJ – tram PESA SWING (2013)
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3. LRT NETWORKS IN ROMANIA: other networks
Fig. 17: ORADEA– Trams in congestion (2014)
Fig. 18: PLOIEŞTI– Tram blocked by car (2012)
Those pictures are relevant to show the most important aspects of daily
operation with Tramways in Romanian cities:
- congestion caused by traffic (can be solve by segregation of track lines…)
- blockage of trams caused by parking cars (it needs application of laws!...)
Increasing commercial speed for the Tramways depends of a technical decision
(not any time a compulsory “political” decision … which need a courage for local
administration to apply the law for everybody and prioritize PT).
The retaining behavior of citizens by tramway system can be explained by wrong
interpretation of PT strategies, of freedom and liberty right of people…
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3. LRT NETWORKS IN ROMANIA: Conclusions
With more than one century of Tramway Systems in Romania, also preservation of
the present condition is not easy. To sustain surviving of few networks, to help the
renewal, the renaissance of other LRT systems, Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan
(SUMP) may be the main instrument.
To have a compatible sustainable high quality tram service in cities, regional capitals,
the politician must provide their help, must give more support to develop PT.
The actual EU funding period (2014-2020) give optimism for Romanian tram
operators, all of them being included for a possible renewing program with a
maximum non reimbursable fund in amount of 20 million euro, rest of financial source
having to be insured by local authorities. Even during the last period the Romanian
governors forget the tramways, due effort of our branch which has acted more
efficiently, they are trying to correct now the situation of electric PT.
The Regional Operational Program helps to prioritize public transport, recognizing
the importance of PT as done through the Economic and Social Committee of
European Union paper 2009/C175/08, which states that PT is fourth important social
inclusion factor (together with right for housing, for work and for equality of chances).
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3. LRT NETWORKS IN ROMANIA: Conclusions
 Any EU funds need a minimum of documents, between them the first and
maximum importance have the SUMP approved by Local Councils, a very good
approach of projects as component of Integrated Development Plans, excellent
technical project applying the newest technologies, and last but not least the financing
value by applicant (between 5–50%, depends of impacts and project characters). The
general conclusion can be only one: dream free and have courage to apply in practice
them, fight smart for tram future in our country, perseverance will have the results.
At the end, a moment of meeting
between present and past, an
industrial monument in downtown of
Oradea, SSW locomotive made 1905,
which worked more than eighty years
in this district, surrounded by the
modern Siemens ULF 151 (made in
Austria) representing the present
generation of modern technology:
Fig. 19: ORADEA – “Siemens meet Siemens”
(source: OTL SA archive)
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LRT NETWORKS IN ROMANIA
THANK YOU FOR ATTENTION !
dr.ing. István CSUZI
Oradea Transport Local SA – Romania
www.otl.ro
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