The railway station of the city of Lugoj, rebuilt from the ground up, after 150 years since the inauguration of the “Banat highway”
The railway station of Lugoj is being rebuilt from the ground up after 150 years, along with the modernization of one of the oldest railway lines in Romania, on the route Arad – Timișoara – Lugoj – Caransebeș.
CFR Lugoj station. Photo: Daniel Guță. TRUTH
In 2026, it will be 150 years since the inauguration of one of the most important railways in western Romania: the Timișoara – Lugoj – Caransebeș line, which would become, in the years to come, a main railway link between the historical region of Banat and Romania.
The railway that connected the Banat with Romania
The Timișoara – Lugoj – Caransebeș railway (97 kilometers) was built in the period 1874–1876, in addition to the Timișoara – Arad section (65 kilometers), inaugurated in 1871.
In 1878, the highway connecting the cities of Banat was extended with the spectacular Caransebeș – Orșova section (88 kilometers), and the following year, with the construction of the Orșova – Vârciorova (Iron Gates) Danube segment, it was connected to Romania's railway network.
“On May 1, 1879, the Orșova-Vârciorova line (8 kilometers) was also opened, making the junction with the Bucharest-Vârciorova railway (339 kilometers), inaugurated on January 5, 1875. Thus the great European artery Vienna-Bucharest was created, connecting the West and the East, considerably developing the circulation of goods and people”. noted the historian Dumitru P. Ionescu, in the work “Construirea cailor ferate din Banat”.
Lugoj (Timiș county), one of the old towns of Banat, with over 35,000 inhabitants, inaugurated the railway station in 1876, with the opening of traffic on the Timișoara – Caransebeș railway.
Over time, the old train station of the city on the banks of the Timiș river went through several modernization processes, and in the fall of 2025 it was demolished, so that a new building for travelers could be erected in its place.
The works at Lot Lugoj – East Timișoara, more advanced
In 2022, the Caransebeș – Lugoj – Timișoara – Arad railway line, 162 kilometers long, entered the construction site, through a project estimated at almost nine billion lei, financed with European funds through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan. After the completion of work on its four segments, passenger trains will be able to run at speeds of up to 160 km/h, and freight trains at up to 120 km/h.
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CFR Lugoj Station Photo Daniel Guță THE TRUTH (21) jpg
Why were the people of Banat proud to be “the leaf”. The railway network in Banat was the densest in Europe
The most advanced segment of the Arad – Caransebeș railway construction site is Lot 2, between Lugoj and Timișoara Est, which also includes the CFR Lugoj station.
In April 2025, traffic was opened here on the first modernized railway segment on the Lugoj – Timișoara section, part of this line. In the following months, the old passenger building at Lugoj Station was demolished, and lines 1 and 2 were closed, to be rebuilt. Lines 3, 4, 5 and 6 have been modernized, two modern platforms have been built, with a lighting system and photovoltaic panels, and a pedestrian walkway, equipped with lifts and fixed stairs, is on site.
“Since its inauguration in 1876 – an event full of symbolism – Lugoj Station is once again a landmark of railway modernization. A new temporary station will operate until the new one is built“, informs CFR Infrastructura.
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CFR Lugoj Station Photo Daniel Guță THE TRUTH (11) jpg
If the CFR's estimated timelines are met, 122 kilometers should be completed in 2026, and 40 kilometers the following year. According to the latest report published by the railway company, the situation of the works on the Arad – Caransebeș railway is as follows:
At what stage is the Banat highway?
Lot 1 Caransebeș – Lugoj, 40 kilometers long, is made by the association Rail Works, leader of SC Alstom Transport SA. The contract was signed on January 15, 2024, and the estimated completion date is July 2027. The value of the investment amounts to 1,344 million lei. The physical stage of work is 7.30 percent, according to the February 2026 CFR report.
The most spectacular railway station in the Banat mountain, renovated after a century and a half. The “Palace” at the Herculaneum Baths
Lot 2, between Lugoj and East Timișoara, has a length of 54 kilometers and is being built by FCC Construcción SA. The contract was signed on December 28, 2022, and the estimated deadline for the completion of the first stage is August 2026. The value of the investment is 1,916 million lei. Physical progress reached 62.68 percent, CFR shows.
Lot 3 Timișoara Est – Ronat Triaj, with a length of 14 kilometers, is carried out by the association WEBUILD SpA – Partecipazioni Italia SpA – SALCEF SpA The contract was signed on December 5, 2022, and the estimated completion date is June 2026. The value of the works is 1,440 million lei, and the physical stage has reached 20.66 percent.
Lot 4 Ronat Triaj – Arad, 55 kilometers long, is being carried out by the association WEBUILD SpA – Partecipazioni Italia SpA – SALCEF SpA The contract was signed on December 16, 2022, and the estimated completion date is June 2026. The value of the investment is 2,184 million lei, and the physical progress of the works is 27.88 percent.
