Metrans pointed out that the only thing left to do is “the completion of all legislative processes”. The Czechia-based operator is not the only company that recently showed interest in the AFLUENT Arad South Terminal. For example, semi-trailers on rail specialist Helrom implemented a new connection between Dusseldorf and the Romanian terminal.

Crossing the Danube

When it comes to the projects for bridges across the Danube, there are three initiatives. The first one entails the modernisation of an existing bridge and the construction of a new one between Ruse (BG) and Giurgiu (RO). Works on the first bridge “will be completed by June this year”, Karadjov stated. After that, the bridge should be ready to be electrified, a move that should cut costs for freight services by 30%, he added.

Regarding the new bridge, the ministry defined it as the country’s first priority. “The goal is for the project for a new bridge to move beyond the analysis stage and enter real preparation for construction with clearly defined steps and responsibilities”, he said. This bridge, just like the existing one, will be road-rail. Bulgaria and Romania submitted the proposal in September 2023 and a feasibility study was launched in January 2024.

Bulgaria is also looking to build two more bridges across the Danube. One will be between Nikopol (BG) and Turnu Magurele (RO), 135 kilometres west of the Rusa-Giurgiu border crossings. The second one will link Silistra (BG) and Călărași (RO), 140 kilometres east of the existing ones. The need for more rail border crossings between Bulgaria and Romania have become more apparent in the past few years, with a massive growth in trade since 2013.

Romania decided to launch a new state rail freight operator instead, Carpatica Feroviar. The new company was supposed to fill the gaps left by CFR Marfă.

However, the Romanian government has employed some questionable tactics to reduce the financial pain from a Marfă bankruptcy. The idea seems to be that Carpatica Feroviar, with an initial state-funded capitalisation, takes over CFR Marfă assets, which then pays off its outstanding debts with it.

The money has come full circle

OPSFPR is highly critical of this working method. It highlights the 300 million euro capitalisation of Carpatica Feroviar for operational expenses and the acquisition of obsolete rolling stock of CFR Marfă, which it then uses in remarkable ways: “The new state operator is leasing the rolling stock recently purchased from CFR Marfă to…CFR Marfă. It seems like a new business model”, association head Simona Istrate states.

Istrate suggests that this is in effect a new type of state aid: “We are not aware of any SGEI entrustment, but we have become accustomed to surprises of all kinds.” SGEI is an EU policy package that defines the conditions for legal state aid.

“There can be no discussion of a ‘reset’, but of an internal rotation of assets and risks within the public sector, with the aim of circumventing the 2020 DG Competition Decision on the recovery of illegal state aid granted to CFR Marfă.” OPSFPR says it will continue to report deviations from competition rules to EU institutions.

The first locomotive, 66014, is scheduled to leave DB Cargo UK’s Toton traction maintenance depot in Nottinghamshire, in the English East Midlands, at the end of January 2026. All 25 locomotives are due to be delivered by mid-2028. Before transfer to mainland Europe, each unit will be reinstated to current UK operational standards and repainted blue, reflecting their new ownership.

Fleet optimisation at DB Cargo UK

DB Cargo UK said the sale forms part of a wider programme to optimise its locomotive fleet. The company operates one of the largest rail freight fleets in the UK and is a key player in intermodal, construction, automotive, energy, and bulk flows. DB Cargo’s Toton depot and yards were the scene of an innovative two-way automotive flow in 2022. It is the UK subsidiary of DB Cargo, the freight arm of Germany’s state-owned Deutsche Bahn, with operations spanning much of Europe.

Wayne Miller, DB Cargo UK’s newly appointed Engineering Director, said the Class 66 locomotives being sold were surplus to requirements. He added that the transaction would still leave the operator with sufficient traction to meet forecast traffic growth. Miller said DB Cargo UK was proud to be reinstating the locomotives at its Toton centre of excellence and looked forward to further developing its partnership with GFR.

Delivery timeline and technical preparation

Under the terms of the agreement, deliveries will be phased over more than two years. The locomotives will undergo work at Toton before export, ensuring compliance with current UK standards ahead of their transfer. Once prepared, the locomotives will be transported to mainland Europe for entry into service with GFR.

The Class 66 design has become a mainstay of European diesel freight operations due to its high power output, reliability, and availability. Although originally developed for North American markets, the type has been widely adopted across Europe. Its continued redeployment between operators reflects both its longevity and its adaptability to different national networks.

GFR strategy and regional growth

Grup Feroviar Roman is the flagship company of the GRAMPET Group, the largest private freight rail and logistics operator in Central and South-Eastern Europe. The group employs more than 7,500 people and operates in ten countries, including Romania, Germany, Bulgaria, Hungary, Croatia, and Greece. GFR alone operates a fleet of more than 15,000 wagons and around 350 locomotives.

Sorin Chinde, Chairman of GFR and Vice President of GRAMPET Group, said the acquisition aligned with the group’s strategy of investing in high-performance rolling stock. He said the Class 66 locomotives would become the backbone of GFR’s diesel fleet. The purchase will allow GFR to withdraw a larger number of older 2,100-horsepower locomotives, reducing maintenance costs and improving fleet availability.

First introduced in the late 1990s, the Class 66 is a six-axle, Co-Co diesel-electric freight locomotive built by EMD for the European market. Producing around 3,000 horsepower, it was designed for heavy haul duties and high availability. More than 500 units have operated in the UK alone, with many exported or redeployed across Europe. Its standardised components, strong reliability record and long service life have made it a benchmark locomotive for private freight operators.

The two new links run on fixed timetables. RCG also offers first and last mile services, forwarding services such as transshipment, warehousing and professional customs clearance. “Freight customers can easily and flexibly book conventional freight wagons or intermodal units such as containers or swap bodies onto the train connections”, the company writes.

Various industries benefit

“The further development of our TransFER connections shows how consistently we align our services with the needs of our customers”, says ÖBB Rail Cargo Group CCO Christoph Grasl. “With new direct and reliable connections, we are improving access to key logistics hubs and creating attractive conditions for the switch to rail.”

RCG explains that these services are particularly beneficial for the chemical, steel, and paper industries. “These sectors gain the most from the enhanced transportation options and simultaneously drive the demand for our services”, the operator says, while pointing out that rail services offer higher transport capacity and reliability than the road, especially for long distances.

The Duisburg-Rotterdam service offers a direct link, initially with three round trips per week, between the Rheinkamp logistics hub near Duisburg and the major terminals of the Port of Rotterdam (Waalhaven, Europoort, Botlek, Pernis, and Maasvlakte). By connecting to Duisburg, one of Europe’s most significant inland ports, the service allows for efficient onward rail transport to destinations in Europe, says RCG.

The Salzburg-Offenbach link runs twice weekly, connecting the Austrian railway hub to an important logistics and industrial center in the Rhine-Main area near Frankfurt am Main.

Romanian connection

RCG is also changing its Romania service offering. The previous connection between Genk (Belgium) and Curtici, on the border with Hungary, will now be a Liège–Curtici link and operate with seven weekly round trips. Liege offers strong connections to the North Sea ports of Rotterdam, Antwerp and Zeebrugge and serves as a powerful hub between seaports, industrial centres and inland markets, RCG explains.

At the same time, RCG is introducing a new Duisburg–Curtici connection with three weekly round trips. “This means that traffic to Curtici will now be consolidated via both Liège and Duisburg”, the operator says.

The scheme approved by Romania exclusively targets road operators active in both freight and passenger transport, excluding public transport. The funds will be used to cover expenses undertaken between 1 October and 31 December 2025 and 1 January and 31 March 2026. For the first period, the amount available is 40 bani (around 0,08 euros) per litre of fuel purchased, while for the second one it will go up to 65 bani (0,13 euros) per litre.

The specifics of the agreement

Before things can be set off, the parties involved will have to “develop and approve a Joint Plan for the development of the corridor (infrastructure and operations)” by 30 September 2026. Only after this, the Action Plan and Joint Project Pipeline can be prepared. The Action Plan will include “a list of cross-border projects addressing the (dual-use) connectivity needs along the corridor, as well as relevant national projects.”

A few interesting points can be drawn from the Memorandum of Understanding. For example, the document makes multiple references to military mobility with two of the 11 goals talking about prioritising and accelerating infrastructure projects for dual-use transport. Moreover, the BACP will have the ability to “where required, adapting the transport infrastructure to dual-use standards as a matter of urgency”.

The BACP will also be responsible for coordinating the applications for EU funding and participating in feasibility studies for the projects along this corridor. Much of the focus will be on cross-border projects and “ensuring synchronised development of the infrastructure”. Finally, the Platform will lobby for the implementation of ERTMS, the handling of 740-metre trains and promote EU policies.

The Bulgarian efforts

Bulgaria has been busy not only with projects along the north-south axis between Greece and Romania, where it is already planning to build three rail tunnels to facilitate crossing its mountainous heart. It is also working to create a cross-border railway with its neighbour to the west, North Macedonia. The two countries recently signed an agreement to build a railway tunnel under the Deve Bair mountain which separates them.

Helrom offers loading for all types of semi-trailers, including fridge, silo, tank, platform and box trailers. “With this new route we continue our mission to make road-rail logistics easier, reliable and more accessible for fleets of all sizes”, sales manager Eugen Sucea explains on LinkedIn. The company also emphasises the sustainability gains of putting semi-trailers on rail.

Despite filing for insolvency in July and entering restructuring proceedings, Helrom continues to expand its services. Its Düsseldorf-Katowice service was launched only at the end of September.

The Austrian operator already runs trains between Budapest and Istanbul, with further links to Austria, Germany and Belgium. Moreover, Curtici is connected to the Turkish port of Tekirdağ, an important hub for goods coming from Ukraine, Russia and southern Europe.

It’s not the operators’ fault

The issue is that rail freight in Romania has decreased 12% between 2024 and 2023, with the trend continuing this year, according to Frasinoi. This decrease, he argued, is likely to be reflected in the intermodal sector as well, hence the loss of the TAC subsidy scheme. This approach, however, assumes that the drop in volumes is mostly the fault of the operators, as they are being punished by losing the discount.

On the other hand, Frasinoi claims that the issue lies with CFR. The main issues are “a network suffocated by speed restrictions, rehabilitation works started and not completed for years, and ‘quick wins’ interventions that have dramatically reduced capacity and doubled transit times.” For example, he explained that intermodal traffic along routes where there were no infrastructure works that would generate significant capacity restrictions, intermodal volumes increased by 20% for some operators.