The first TRAXX MS3 electric locomotive out of the 16 ordered by the Romanian state is scheduled to arrive in Romania in early April 2026. Its Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) took place on Tuesday at Alstom's production facility in Kassel, Germany, the Romanian Railway Reform Authority (ARF) said.
The technical visit was carried out under Contract RUIC 1/29.01.2024, signed by ARF with the Alstom Transport SA - Alstom Transportation Germany GmbH consortium for the acquisition of 16 new electric locomotives to be operated by CFR Calatori under public-service contracts approved by Government Decision 1453/2022. The FAT verifies the quality of the rail vehicle, inspecting and validating parameters to ensure correct operation and compliance with contractual specifications, ARF representatives said.
The FAT covered inspection of subassemblies and components, functional verification and conformity checks, the review of technical documentation, and execution of procedures defined in the FAT protocol.
According to the supplier's estimates, the TRAXX MS3 locomotive will reach Romania in early April 2026. It will then undergo preliminary servicing and operational testing, including 10,000 km of endurance trials, followed by final acceptance for entry into commercial service hauling passenger trains.
The new electric locomotives will operate on several electrified routes of the public railway network: Dej - Brasov - Bucharest - Constanta; Timisoara - Arad - Brasov - Bucharest - Constanta; Timisoara - Cluj-Napoca - Iasi; Iasi/Suceava - Bucharest - Constanta.
The project was initially financed under Component 4 - Sustainable Transport of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, including 20 years of maintenance. Starting this year, funding will be provided entirely through the Modernisation Fund, with the financing contract to be signed shortly. The Modernisation Fund supports the objectives of the European Green Deal by facilitating a socially just transition to a green economy, the ARF also shows.
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