Chairman of Save Romania Union (USR) Catalin Drula on Thursday criticised the Government for the losses at CFR Calatori, by 464 percent higher than the previous year, and said that the company’s bankruptcy „is close”.

„CFR Calatori’s estimated losses for 2024 are 464 percent higher than those reported on 31 December 2023. In my eight months at the Ministry of Transport, I have fought for the railway network to stop being ignored. I managed to attract 4 billion EUR under the PNRR [the National Recovery and Resilience Plan], money for modernised and repaired railways and new trains. The goal? To bring the Romanian railway into the 21st century. PSD [the Social Democratic Party] came with Grindeanu and they do what they do best: investments have been missed. Not a single train has been put into service, leaving passengers to struggle in train cars that provide no comfort,” Drula wrote on Facebook.

He added that not a single train line has been modernised in the last two and a half years.

„With over 1 billion RON in losses, CFR Calatori’s bankruptcy is close. The budget hole, everything they stole, in the end will be paid by the Romanians. That’s what PSD-PNL [the National Liberal Party] in government means. Romania needs a government that prioritises railways and roads, that invests in trains and motorways,” concluded Catalin Drula.

CFR Calatori has received 47 percent less funding this year than budgeted, which means that it is not covering its current operating expenditure, informs the company in a press release sent to AGERPRES on Tuedsay.

Thus, for the year 2024, the amount of compensation allocated, in the amount of 1.11 billion RON, is below the substantiated need of 2.38 billion RON.

„This leads to expenditure on current operating activity not being covered. Thus, an imbalance in CFR Calatori’s income and expenditure budget for 2024 has been created. CFR Calatori operates passenger trains in accordance with the obligations of the public service contract concluded between the Railway Reform Authority (ARF) and the company, whereby ARF is obliged to pay compensation in accordance with the terms and conditions of the CSP [public service contracts – editor’s note]2022 – 2032,” the source informs.

According to the national rail passenger transport operator, the gross loss forecast for the current year, amounting to 1.026 billion RON, is due to the failure to allocate budgetary compensation at the level required to cover the difference between operating costs and the company’s own revenue in order to comply with the provisions of EC Regulation No 1370/2007.

AGERPRES