The Romanian Railway Reform Agency has selected Siemens Mobility to supply 12 hydrogen-powered trains

German technology giant Siemens Mobility has been selected by the Romanian Railway Reform Agency (ARF) as the contractor for the supply of 12 electric trains equipped with hydrogen fuel cells. The contract is worth nearly 1.61 billion lei (about 325 million euros) excluding VAT, and includes both the delivery of the rolling stock and its maintenance for a period of 30 years, BalkanEngineer.com learned from the economic publication Romania-Insider.com.

The consortium that won the tender consists of Siemens Mobility subsidiaries in Romania, Germany, and Austria. The selection was made following an evaluation of the submitted bid and approval from the National Agency for Public Procurement (ANAP). The new trains are intended to serve non-electrified routes around the capital Bucharest, including lines to Pitești, Târgoviște, Curtea de Argeș, and Henri Coandă International Airport.

The main challenge facing the project’s implementation remains its financing. Funding was initially allocated through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), but due to procedural delays and missed delivery deadlines, Romania has lost access to these funds. Currently, the Railway Reform Agency and the Ministry of Transport are working to secure alternative sources of funding, with the most likely option being to transfer the project to the EU Modernization Fund.

In addition to acquiring the railcars, the ARF is also working on plans to build the supporting infrastructure needed to power the trains. The project documentation is expected to be finalized in the coming months, after which the specific public procurement tenders for delivery will be announced.

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