Photo what the Diesel train made of Pașcani looks like. Was officially presented on Thursday, over 10 years after the construction began
Diesel Leon train produced in Pascani (photo Vlad Barza)
QN Gara de Nord was presented with fast, including red carpet at the platform, a diesel train made in Pașcani, a car where design, construction and approval tests lasted almost 15 years. The train called Leon could run in the very close future in Bucharest – Brașov or Bucharest – Constanța.
In general, it takes a few years to design, build and launch a new train, but at the Diesel frame called Leon, built by VFU Pașcani Electroputers, the times were extremely long.
Seven years have passed since the train started and until it was ready for the railway tests. Then six years have passed until the official launch of June 19.
More than 200 guests participated in the press conference, and several speakers climbed on stage, including Cosmonaut Dumitru Prunariu, who compared his trip to space (since 1981), with the creation of this train and praised the Grambet Company.
“Let's look at this train, not as a technological achievement, but as a symbol of unity and progress. May it transport not only passengers, but also hopes, ideas and opportunities, for a more connected and prosperous Romania.”
In 2011 the work started
The draft train on diesel from Pașcani started in 2011-2012, then it was decided to build a DMU (Multiple Unit Diesel), and the materials began to arrive in 2013-2014 for the construction of this first prototype. Most of the components came from known companies in Europe, and the exterior and cabin design were made in Pascani. 180 people worked on the project.
The train arrived in Făurei (only) in October 2019, and the first tests at Predeal were done two months later. The train also ran with 120 km/h between Pașcani and Bucharest. In total, the Diesel frame has done over 30,000 km of tests.
It is not known when this train called Leon will run with passengers, but the president of the Grappet Group, Gruia Stoica, said that “next week we can see him in circulation, because almost from all important private operators we have requests”.
“The factory is ready to build two trains a month,” said Gruia Stoica, who, asked why she took so long for this train, said that “every birth is difficult, it lasts, there is a lot to explain.” I asked the Grampet chief if technical problems occurred during the tests, and he replied that he did not know that it was. The Grampet chief says he has no plans to set up a passenger transport company.
The Leon train made a Bucharest North – Bucharest Baneasa and return train on Thursday.
The Diesel car produced by VFU Pașcani electroputers is intended for the transport on medium distances with a maximum speed of 120 km/h and is made up of three wagons (wagon motor + trailer + motor wagon). I can travel a total of 164 passengers (142 in the second and 22 class 1), and the train is 60 meters long.
Only 40% of the Romanian railway network is electrified, and after 1989 it was not continued with electrification, so Diesel trains are still based on some important bus.
However, in Central and Western Europe, it is invested massively not on diesel trains, but in short and long electric frames.
Electroputere VFU Pașcani is a member company of the Grappet group led by the controversial businessman Gruia Stoica. The company also won contracts to modernize wagons for CFR Călatori, funded by PNRR, and the first wagons are already circulating.
The car Leon reached 143 km/h in the tests done six years ago in the Făurei polygon where the train traveled over 5,000 km.
