CFR Călaturi risks incapable of payment and has debts of half a billion lei for suppliers, of which 100 million lei for diesel. “There is no bankruptcy risk and we do not close, but I hope the suppliers will keep us at least until the Government formation and then we will discuss again with the decision makers,” said at a press conference, Traian Preoteasa, head of the state rail operator.
Very big debt to diesel
The head of CFR Călatori says that he has recently received a notification from the diesel supplier, due to the high debts, the risk being to stop the delivery of this fuel. Over 60% of the Romanian railway network is non-electrified, so Diesel trains are very important. The monthly diesel expenses are 30 million lei at CFR Călaturi.
The operator also has debts of 100 million lei at CFR Electrification, so there is a risk of restricting access to the network.
“There is a possibility to stop some of the traffic, it has not stopped, but the risk exists further,” says CFR Călatori who says the operator should receive from the state at least one amount equal to last year, when the compensation was 2.13 billion lei.
Three scenarios for the future CFR Călaturi
The head of the company said that, given the very difficult situation, there are three working scenarios:
- Compensation is paid at the requested level and everything remains according to the service contract (the only positive scenario).
- If the compensation is not received, the ticket price increases to the level of the expenses.
- Reducing the number of trains at the level of compensation received
Asked about how much a possible expensive tickets would be, the operator's head did not want to give percentage. “There is no calculation and I do not want to do it. I am convinced that we will not get there (…) If I am not given the compensation, we increase the price or we reduce the activity. I cannot pay on mechanical debt, we cannot pay on the notebook, I have no way to do this and I am convinced that we will not get there.”
Traian Preoteasa says that CFR Călatori finished profit last year and claims that, by suspending the 200 spring trains, the economy made throughout the year will be 200 million lei. We remind that a few months ago, trains on commuters were suspended where people depended on them. CFR Călaturi said then that there were trains with only one or two passengers.
The official CFR Călatori says that the operator receives the compensation at the level of 2022, much lower than is needed today, because the authority for railway reform has not signed an additional act that had been approved by the Competition Council.
The compensation provides 55% of Căr Călatori Căcilei, while in private operators 85% of costs, says CFR Călatori. Under these conditions, the operator's budget is a “survival and not development”. supports the head of the company.
The monthly expenses have CFR Călatori are 365 million lei and, due to the low level of compensation, the debts to the suppliers increase by several tens of millions. In addition to the current debts, the company also has historical debts of over one billion lei (a debt of 600 million lei to ANAF and two credit lines ten years ago).
An audit made by CFR Călaturi showed that in the last five years, the compensation that the company should have received, but did not receive it, was a total of 1.8 billion lei, and the outstanding debts increased, the company officials say.
Debts and to PNRR upgrades
A problem is also with the wagons and locomotives modernized by PNRR, because there are also total debts of 71 million lei. Eight locomotives and 15 wagons modernized by these PNR funds circulate, but some of them are not paid.
“It is a very complicated chain with the PNRR, there are very strict terms and any missing piece of this puzzle would block the project. We have made thousands of notifications and we cannot keep the PNR in and even today a private operator who repairs locomotives and wagons for CFR Călaturi will not stop. Finance, however, is a danger of blocking the project and I do not think that CFR will benefit from such a modernization project in the next ten years, ”says the head of the company.
In total, contracts were signed for the modernization of 139 wagons and 55 electric locomotives.
The collective labor contract expires on June 30, the strike is possible
“We are in full negotiation of the collective labor agreement (CCM), the pressure is quite high and I do not know how I will cope. The CCM expires on June 30, not having a collective contract, the unions can trigger a labor conflict and I hope we will not get there,” says Traian Preoteasa.
CFR Călaturi denies on Monday the information published in the public space that would be in danger of bankruptcy or to stop the activity. However, the state railway company claimed, however, the level of compensation received from the state and the decrease of the forecast revenues for 2025, indicators that “endanger the public transport of passengers”.
That Monday statement came two days after June 14, the state company had issued another, much more pessimistic statement, in which the problems they face. The operator said that insufficient funds and lower revenues than expected for 2025 can seriously affect public passenger transport.
Railway unionists have complained several times in recent weeks that the great risk is to be canceled and several trains, especially if CFR Călaturi does not receive in 2025 the real compensation, respectively the compensation passed in the law of the state budget for 2025.
On Monday, the negotiations of the new employment contract (CCM) began at CFR Călatori level, and the trade unionists threaten with a general strike, if it will not be adopted in a timely manner. If the new contract is not signed until June 30, there is a risk that the general strike will be triggered in the first part of August, the trade unionists said.
CFR Călaturi advertised “subcompensation and decrease of the forecast revenues for 2025 which endanger public passenger transport”.
The state operator said that granting a compensation for the public service below the level of 2024 “represents more than a challenge and could ultimately lead to the appearance of a blockage with unwanted effects on the railway system in its entirety”.
These days discussions are held on the topic of the compensation received from the state by the railway operator. We remind that, in the spring, to reduce the expenses, the company has canceled over 200 trains, including Bucharest – Giurgiu, a route reopened after 20 years of break.
