The start of the actual works on the metro in Cluj, postponed indefinitely. Specialist: “The opening will be at Easter of horses”
Almost 3 years after the signing of the contract by Cluj-Napoca City Hall for the construction of the city's first subway line, the main works have not started. Delivered at the end of 2024, the two TBM machines intended for drilling have not been put into operation as even the special structure from which they should be launched, called PLS (Pit Launch Structure), is not completed.
Emil Boc. PHOTO: Archive
Cluj-Napoca has become, during the last decade, a victim of its own economic, university and real estate success. Tens of thousands of people chose to move permanently to the city on Someș, attracted by a thriving IT industry, prestigious universities and the promise of a standard of living at Western standards.
This accelerated development also came with perverse effects, as sociologists would say. The commune of Florești, practically transformed into an urban extension of the city, has become a veritable giant bedroom for the workforce. Every morning, the main artery that connects the two towns becomes the scene of nightmarish traffic jams. People spend hours stuck in private cars or crammed into overcrowded buses. Faced with this major mobility crisis, the local administration led by Emil Boc came up with a colossal promise, presented as the definitive solution: an ultra-modern subway.
With a length of 21 km, the first subway line outside the Capital should include 19 stations, with a transport capacity, at an interval of 90 seconds, of 15,200/21,600 passengers / hour and direction.
The route of the metro line will start from the new residential area in Florești. The first three stations will serve medium-density residential areas in Florești, and then stations 4 and 5 will serve multifunctional areas in a dynamic development, developed around the anchors of the future regional emergency hospital and the Vivo shopping center respectively. Stations 6, 7 and 8 will serve the Mănăștur neighborhood (the densest residential area in the city), and then the line will follow the west-east highway, crossing the city center, to Piața Mărăști.
From here, a branch of the line will continue towards the Muncii industrial area, ensuring the connection with the railway and the future metropolitan train service, and another branch will serve the neighborhoods of Gheorgheni and Sopor, where the above-ground depot will also be located. The entire line will be underground, except for the transition connection near the depot.
The contract for this project was concluded in May 2023 with a joint venture consisting of Gulermak, Alstom and Arcada. The duration of the agreement is 8 years, while the value is 8.6 billion lei. Part of the required amount, 1.5 billion lei, should have been allocated through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, but in the end the project was removed from this funding program due to delays.
The City Hall of Cluj-Napoca does not offer any deadline for the launch of the TBMs
In a point of view sent to the “Adevărul” request, Cluj-Napoca City Hall states that the two TBM (Tunnel Boring Machine) drilling machines, popularly known as “moles”, were delivered in 2024, being preserved in the construction site, but does not provide any precise term for their commissioning.
“The two TBM machines were delivered in 2024 and are currently in the site organization in Florești, where they are kept in controlled technical conditions, according to the manufacturer's requirements and the standards applicable to this type of equipment. The components benefit from specific preservation, protection and monitoring measures, and the maintenance operations are carried out in a specialized regime, so that the machines are ready for the next stages of assembly and commissioning. At this stage, the calendar of assembly and the start of drilling are directly related to the completion of the preliminary technical stages, including the design, the execution of the structures necessary for the launch and the other operational conditions specific to a project of this complexity. For this reason, it would not be responsible to advance a precise date before all these conditions are fully met.” the City Hall of Cluj-Napoca sent to “Adevărul”.
Asked about the source of funding for the project, in the context in which allocations through PNRR have disappeared, the representatives of the municipality also avoid providing full details.
When do the excavations begin at the subway in Cluj. Emil Boc: “There is constant work on the construction site”
“Regarding financing, we inform you that this project has secured financing. Aspects related to the project's financing structure, budget allocations and the payment situation are communicated periodically, through official channels, including on the website of the Cluj-Napoca City Hall”, say the representatives of the town hall.
Ionuț Ciurea, Pro Infrastructure: “The Turkish company does what it wants with the beneficiary”
But, beyond the official statements, the reality is much crueler. Ionuț Ciurea, the president of the Pro Infrastructure Association, explained that at the moment even the special structure from which the two “moles” should be launched, called PLS (Pit Launch Structure), is not completed.
“On the metro in Cluj, I've said since last year: from the moment you start the actual works, if everything goes normally, it takes you about 9 months to complete the PLS, that is, the structure from which you launch the TBM. And that's in the conditions where everything is prepared in the back. But it's not enough to have the TBM. You have to be able to power it, it consumes as much as a small town. It's not a trivial matter to “plug it in”. You also need a constant source of water, but also for waste water. As far as we know, these aspects are not resolved. Even if the TBM is ready, it would not be possible to launch it. From what we can see, there is no space for the assembly itself takes time. There is a lot of work that needs to be done before the launch, which is why there is no clear deadline.” explained Ionuț Ciurea, in a statement given to “Adevărul”.
The correct construction strategy of a subway system involves perfect technical timing. The drilling effort of the main tunnel must necessarily be correlated with the preliminary construction stage of the underground stations on the route. If the passenger stations are not excavated and structurally prepared before the drilling rig reaches them underground, the financial costs explode instantly and so do the risks of collapse.
“In order to launch the TBM you need three things: the PLS completed, the TBM complete and functional and work started on the stations in front. There is very little talk about the last point. You cannot let the TBM go without preparing the stations where it will arrive. Otherwise, you will have to dig the stations later, which is much more expensive, more complicated and more risky. In Cluj, nothing has started on the stations. On the other hand, at Magistrala 6 from Bucharest, the works at the stations are already underway before the TBM makes significant progress”, Ciurea explained.
What Emil Boc says about the works on the Cluj metro: “The contract is ongoing and the moles will arrive in the autumn”
Also, the president of the Pro Infrastructure Association claims that the delays are mainly caused by the lack of expertise of the mayor's office in carrying out large-scale projects.
“Unfortunately, there the Turkish company does what it wants with the beneficiary. This is the truth. I have said it many times: Cluj-Napoca City Hall does not have the necessary expertise to carry out such a project. And we are not only talking about the subway. Look at all the major projects – the belt, the metropolitan train. All the large transport infrastructure projects carried out by the city hall are managed disastrously. We have nothing personal with Emil Boc, but we look at the reality: tenders over auctions, problems on top of problems. This is where the lack of expertise comes from“, emphasized Ionuț Ciurea.
Opening to “Easter of Horses”
Practically, at this moment the contractual term has not started to expire, so any estimate regarding the opening of traffic is illusory.
“As for the opening of the subway, it will be at the “Easter of the Horses”. It does not depend only on the excavations. There are still trains, there is no tender. There are still finishes, installations, track, signaling systems. The subway will be automatic, without a mechanic, which involves even more tests. Only testing can take between 3 and 6 months”, Ionuț Ciurea pointed out.
Under these conditions, one thing is certain. The original opening date, the year 2031, evoked by Emil Boc at the time of signing the contract, can be moved to the “discussed and forgotten” category.
