Romania's state railway operator CFR Călători is set to connect Bucharest to the mountain city of Brașov, about 185 km away, with four new Alstom electric trains as part of its new train timetable.

The new timetable, which will come into effect on December 15, will have the railway operator running 1,100 trains daily. 

"The passenger rail transport offer is adapted to market demand both by optimizing travel times and by adjusting the schedule and transport capacity within the available resources," the company stated in a press release. 

The new electric Bucharest-Brașov trains are made up of new rolling stock made by French manufacturer Alstom. The four new InterRegio (IR) trains planned for this new timetable are:

• IR 16001, departing at 6:31 AM from Bucharest North and arriving in Brașov at 8:59 AM
• IR 16002, departing from Brașov at 10:25 AM and arriving in Bucharest North at 12:58 PM
• IR 16003, departing from Bucharest North at 1:22 PM and arriving in Brașov at 4:00 PM
• IR 16004, departing from Brașov at 4:27 PM. and arriving in Bucharest North at 7:00 PM

CFR Călători has also scheduled trains on modified routes to better meet demand and maintain international connections linking Romania's major cities with Europe. As such, the international train IR 72 "Traianus" will run on the Craiova–Budapest Keleti route, and IR 73 will run on the Budapest Keleti–Craiova route.

A new train, IR 1599, has also been introduced for the Bucharest North–Drobeta Turnu Severin route, departing from Bucharest North at 5:02 AM and arriving in Drobeta Turnu Severin at 12:19 PM. 

During the summer season, direct trains will connect major cities in the country to the seaside, with trains running between Constanța and Mangalia and back as Regio trains, at the rates applicable for this category. 

As for InterCity trains, these will be composed of more than 50 passenger cars, including first-class cars, second-class cars, and second-class cars with space for public catering services. 

"Passengers on these trains benefit from Wi-Fi internet access, as the cars are equipped with the necessary equipment and can travel at speeds of up to 160 km/h, with some even reaching 200 km/h," the company states. 

Additionally, for international destinations, travelers can access several offers at advantageous rates to Moldova, Austria, Germany, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Bulgaria, as well as the Interrail Pass offer, which is a subscription valid throughout Europe or in a specific European country. 

CFR Călători began operating Romania's first new electric train, the Alstom Coradia Stream, on November 20, on the Bucharest-Brașov route.

radu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Autoritatea pentru Reforma Feroviara on Facebook)