EU Bank funds €630 million to modernise Romania's Brașov-Sighișoara rail line

The European Investment Bank has agreed to provide €630 million to Romania for the refurbishment of the 113-kilometre railway between Brașov and Sighișoara, a segment of a €2.25 billion programme also financed by the EU and the Romanian state. The project will overhaul one outlet double-track, electrified route, installing the European Rail Traffic Management System and enhancing stations for disabled access. After completion, passenger trains are expected to reach 160 km/h and freight trains 120 km/h, supporting up to 29 passenger and 22 freight trains each day and handling roughly four million passengers and six million tonnes of cargo annually.

Officials say the upgrade will remove a bottleneck on the Rhine-Danube and Baltic-Black Sea corridors, encouraging a shift from road to rail and reducing emissions. EIB vice-president Ioannis Tsakiris highlighted the boost to sustainable transport, while interim finance minister Alexandru Nazare stressed its long-term economic benefits for Romania.