After years of delays, Romania could have the first hydrogen trains. Where they will circulate
For over three years, the Romanian authorities have been trying to purchase 12 hydrogen trains, the financing being provided by the PNR. Until December 2024, three auctions were canceled, and at the fourth auction, organized this spring, only one bidder was presented.
The first hydrogen trains could run in Romania in the autumn of 2026 Photo SNCF
As stated for the “Adevărul” representatives of the Authority for Railway Reform, at the end of April, the meeting of the evaluation commission was held for the auction regarding the purchase of 12 hydrogen trains, being visualized a single offer submitted in SEAP, respectively the association of Siemens Mobility, composed of Siemens Mobility SRL, Siemens Mobility GMBH and Siemens Mobhity Gmbh.
“At present, the offer is under evaluation. The date on which hydrogen trains will begin to travel on the Romanian railway network cannot be established at this time, because the public procurement procedure is in progress. After the winner's designation and the signing of the contract, the delivery chart presented by the winner North-Târgoviște ”says Mihai Barbu, president of the Authority for Railway Reform.
The estimated value of the contract is between 1.5 billion and 2.46 billion lei.
The first auction was organized by the Railway Reform Authority in February 2023, being canceled because no bidder was registered. And the second auction was canceled in November 2023, the only offer received being declared non -compliant by the members of the evaluation commission. There was also a third auction, canceled in May 2024, because, again, no bidder was presented.
According to the project, the 12 hydrogen trains would provide the railway transport services that will connect Bucharest with: Henri Coandă International Airport, as well as Chitila and Titu (every 30 minutes); The municipalities of Pitești and Târgoviște county residence, as well as the city of Găești (every hour); Craiova and Slatina county residence municipalities, as well as the city of Balș (four times a day); Curtea de Argeș municipality (three times a day). The first hydrogen train would be put into circulation on the Bucharest-Pitești route.
If there will be no solutions in the next period, Romania risks remaining without European funding through the PNR, the deadline for delivery of hydrogen trains being the late summer 2026.
And there's a problem. The works on the Bucharest-Pitești railway line for adapting to the circulation of hydrogen trains will be completed only in 2026, that is, the year in which it is the deadline for the delivery of hydrogen trains.
