State-owned rail operator CFR Calatori could decide to apply another hike in the prices of tickets in 2023, depending on the inflation rate and the subsidy that the company will receive in the next budget, Agerpres reported. Train fares increased in Romania this year on July 1.

"The legislation says that the inflation rate imposes the price increase. As you can see, the inflation rate, I read Professor Paun's statement today, may reach 20% at the end of the year. We'll analyze the next budget at the end of the year, depending on the level of the subsidy, and if we still end up in a situation with uncontrolled prices, it's possible to take into account the increase," the general director of CFR Calatori, Traian Preoteasa, said this week after hearings of the specialized committee of the Chamber of Deputies.

Asked if a possible decision to increase ticket prices is a technical one or if the minister of transport will have the last word, Preoteasa said: "It is a technical decision coupled with a political decision, given that the tariff increase is made by order of the minister, the minister being a politician."

In this context, he stated that the company would not record arrears at the end of the year, but there will be a preliminary financial loss of RON 600 million due to high electricity and fuel prices.

Meanwhile, transport minister Sorin Grindeanu said that increasing the prices of train tickets is the last solution he would adopt and that he'd first want to see the economic situation at the end of the year before making a decision, G4media.ro reported. He also said that he would like to introduce CFR Calatori, the public transport in general, in the ordinance on capping energy prices, which is under debate in the Chamber of Deputies.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

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