Chinese investors plan to spend EUR 11 billion building a high speed railway that will cross Romania from west to east, according to local ProTV news.

If the agreement is signed, the first railway section will link Bucharest to Romanian seaside city Constanta and the trains will run with a speed of up to 250 km per hour. As a result, a trip between the Romanian capital and Constanta will take around one hour.

This section is part of the larger project to link Curtici, on the western border, to Constanta. The total railway will have around 800 km and would cost EUR 11 billion.

The Chinese investors have also shown interest in upgrading the railway section between Iasi and Giurgiu, with a length of 600 km.

“The freight trains travel at 40 km per hour. Upgrading means that after these works freight trains will travel with 120 km per hour, while passenger trains will run with 160 km per hour,” said transport minister Ramona Manescu, quoted by ProTV news.

The Chinese investors might also spend EUR 350 million in upgrading the 83-kilometer railway ring around Bucharest.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com