Romania celebrates 166 years since the Union of the Romanian Principalities under Alexandru Ioan Cuza on Friday, January 24, which is a national holiday. To mark the special day, the railway passenger carrier CFR Călători will introduce the special Union Train "to carry the national message" from Bucharest to Iași and back.

Departing from Bucharest's Gara de Nord at 6:51 AM, the Union Train will feature a locomotive painted in the colors of the Romanian flag. Locals are invited to greet the train at various stops along the route, including Ploiești, Mizil, Buzău, Focșani, Tecuci, Bârlad, Vaslui, and Iași, where it will arrive at around 1:51 PM.

The carriages of train IR 1661/IR 1664 Bucharest Nord – Iași and return will bear the names of the main historical figures of the time, namely Mihail Kogălniceanu, Vasile Alecsandri, Moş Ion Roată, and Alexandru Ioan Cuza.

On the Day of the Union of the Romanian Principalities, the IR 1661 Union Train will have an additional stop of approximately 15 minutes at the Bârlad and Vaslui stations. In this context, to avoid overcrowding on certain trains, CFR Călători advised passengers to purchase tickets in advance and use all trains available in the daily schedule.

On January 24, 1859, the unification of Romanian principalities Moldova and Țara Românească (Wallachia) under the same ruling prince,  Alexandru Ioan Cuza, marked a first step towards one of the Romanian nation's most important political goals – the union of all provinces where Romanians were in majority.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Facebook/CFR Calatori)