Contract for Cluj Napoca's metro line will be signed this month, PM says
The first metro line outside of Bucharest is set to be built in Cluj-Napoca. The RON 9 billion contract for the Transylvanian city's M1 metro line is to be signed on May 25, according to prime minister Nicolae Ciuca.
The eight-year “turnkey” contract is the largest transport contract yet and will receive RON 1.5 billion (EUR 300 million) through the PNRR.
The contract was won by the association Gulermak – Alstom – Arcada, with an offer of RON 9 billion. It will cover a 21-kilometer and 19-station highway and has a duration of 96 months.
"I just talked with (Cluj) mayor (Emil) Boc. On the 25 we are going to sign the contracts," said the prime minister, quoted by Agerpres.
Financing will come from the state budget, European funds, and the Cluj-Napoca City Hall, plus the PNRR funding of EUR 300 million, which is for the structure of the first 9 stations, with a completion date of August 2026.
Last week, the former secretary of state in the Ministry of Transport, Horațiu Cosma, accused mayor Boc of delaying the signing of the contract, although the law obliges the Contracting Authority to award immediately after the decision of the CNSC, without waiting for a possible appeal in court. Boc has said that he wants to wait to see if an appeal is also filed in court with May 23 being the deadline for submitting bids for the work supervision contract.
The project is seen as a significant step towards reducing congestion and improving transportation in the region.
The funding will ensure the design, construction, equipment, and commissioning of the light metro line in the Cluj-Napoca metropolitan area, including the 19 stations and the depot. The first stage of the project will include the Sfânta Maria - Europa Unită section (nine stations) and the depot, which is financed by PNRR and must be completed by the end of August 2026.
The second stage will see the construction of the sections Țara Motilor – Sfânta Maria (seven stations) and Piața Mărăști – Muncii (three stations) which total 11.87 km.
The Ministry of Transport has also described the financing contract as the largest in the last 30 years, and it is hoped that the project will help to boost economic growth in the region.
(Photo source: Emil Boc/Facebook)
