Romania - Lines with Obscure or Sparse passenger services
Introduction
This list is based on the timetable dated from 11 December 2016 to 9 December 2017, unless otherwise stated. Standard abbreviations are explained in General Information.
Obscure services
Arad avoiding line: Glogovăţ – Aradu Nou
[200,310] (ERA 107C2) RO17/1
A south to east curve connecting the Timişoara Nord to Arad and Arad to Simeria lines.
IR1622 | Timişoara Nord - 08:58 Aradu Nou - Bucureşti Nord | ||
IR1766 | Timişoara Nord - 14:29 Aradu Nou - Iaşi | ||
12766 | Timişoara Nord - 15:10 Aradu Nou - Iaşi | ||
12838 | Timişoara Nord - 18:52 Aradu Nou - Iaşi | ||
12296 | Timişoara Nord - 20@53 Aradu Nou - Bucureşti Nord | ||
IR1843 | Timişoara Nord - 22:32 Aradu Nou - Beclean pe Someş | ||
1765 | Iaşi - 06:30 Radna - Timişoara Nord | ||
12837 | Iaşi - 10:36 Radna - Timişoara Nord | ||
28370 | Iaşi - 10:40 Radna - Timişoara Nord | ||
1621 | Bucureşti Nord - 21:01 Radna - Timişoara Nord |
Teiuş avoiding line: Mihalţ – Coşlariu
[200A,300] (ERA 108A2/B2) RO17/2
This east <=> west curve avoiding Teiuş is used by through trains shown on Table 200A with no timing at Teiuş.
Săcueni Bihor avoiding line: Târguşor Bihor (Ram. Diosig) – Cadia (Ram. Târguşor Bihor)
[402,413] (ERA 107C4) RO17/3
This east <=> south curve connects the Sărmăşag and Oradea lines, avoiding Săcueni Bihor station. Trains call at Săcueni Bihor halt on the curve.
No trains use this curve in the current timetable.
Mărăşeşti avoiding line: Putna Seacă (Mărăşeşti Ram. Putna) – Gral. Eremia Grigorescu (Mărăşeşti Ram. Gral. Eremia Grigorescu)
[500,704] (ERA 109A2) RO17/4
This south to east curve is used by through trains between Bucureşti and the Tecuci line, shown on table 500 with destination Iaşi but no time at Mărăşeşti, and on table 704 with destination Bucureşti but no time at Mărăşeşti.
IR1667 | Bucureşti Nord - 02:12 Focşani - Iaşi | ||
IR1661 | Bucureşti Nord - 09:02 Focşani - Iaşi | ||
IR1663 | Bucureşti Nord - 15:11 Focşani - Iaşi | ||
IR1665 | Bucureşti Nord - 19:13 Focşani - Iaşi | ||
IR1668 | Iaşi – 02:17 Tecuci - Bucureşti Nord | ||
IR1662 | Iaşi – 09:04 Tecuci - Bucureşti Nord | ||
IR1666 | Iaşi – 19:43 Tecuci - Bucureşti Nord |
Paşcani avoiding line: Paşcani triaj – Ruginoasa
[500,606] (ERA 109A4) RO17/5
This south to east curve linking the Buzău and Iaşi lines is used by through trains shown in Table 606 with no timings at Paşcani and in Table 500 with a vertical line or timing at Paşcani traj and a blank at Paşcani.
IR1541 | Iaşi - 05:42 Târgu Frumos - Braşov | ||
IR401 | Chişinău – 22:39 Iaşi - Bucureşti Nord | ||
IR402 | Bucureşti Nord - 01:38 Paşcani Triaj H. - Chişinău | ||
IR1540 | Braşov - 21:11 Roman - Iaşi |
(Suceava –) Cacica – Gura Humorului
[502, 513] (ERA 108C4) RO17/6
Table 513 Suceava - Dărmăneşti - Cacica - Paltinoasa (- Gura Humorului) forms an alternative route between Suceava and Gura Humorului. There are no trains currently in the timetable, but there has been a tendency in recent years to add a train pair later in the timetable period.
Tecuci avoiding line: Cosmeşti – Tecuci Nord
[600,704] (ERA A2/B2) RO17/7
This west to north curve avoiding Tecuci station is used by trains between Mărăşeşti and Bârlad with no time shown at Tecuci.
IR1664 | Iaşi - 17:07 Tecuci Nord hc. – Bucureşti Nord | ||
IR14068 | Iaşi - 18:25 Tecuci Nord hc. - Brașov | ||
IR1862 | Iaşi - 01:18 Tecuci Nord hc. - Constanţa | ||
IR1861 | Constanţa - 03:36 Mărăşeşti - Iaşi | ||
IR14067 | Brașov - 12:20 Mărăşeşti - Iaşi | ||
IR14069 | Brașov - 19:13 Mărăşeşti - Iaşi |
Pantelimon – Bucureşti Obor
[800] (ERA 111A5) RO17/8
Express services on the Constanţa line run to/from Bucureşti Nord whereas local services run to/from Bucureşti Obor, which lies at the end of a branch running SW from a triangular junction at Pantelimon. A few local trains run between Bucureşti Nord and Bucureşti Obor but they reverse at Pantelimon station (which lies at the east end of the triangle) and hence do not traverse the W <=> S curve.
(Chitila –) Pajura (Ram. Snagov PR) – Bucureşti Baneasa (Ram. Pajura)
[300/800] (ERA 111A5) RO17/9
This route is used by seasonal services between the Brașov line and the Black Sea coast, calling at Bucureşti Baneasa instead of Bucureşti Nord.
These trains are expected to take the direct curve between Pajura and the line to Bucureşti Baneasa, although a longer alternative (partly common with the next entry) is available via Bucureşti Triaj. It is possible that there is no physical connection with the main line at Ram. Snagov PR and that trains use a physically separate line from/to Chitila, which flies over the line to Mogoşoaia (- Urziceni). The compilers would be welcome confirmation of the route taken.
E | IR1944 | Satu Mare – 03:56 Ploiești Vest - Mangalia | |
E | IR1945 | Mangalia - 19:38 Bucureşti Baneasa – Satu Mare |
(Chiajna –) Bucureşti Triaj – Bucureşti Baneasa (Ram. Pajura)
[800/900] (ERA 111A5) RO17/10
This route is used by seasonal services between the Videle line and the Black Sea coast, calling at Bucureşti Baneasa instead of Bucureşti Nord. Table 800 is not yet printed for summer 2016 so the number and timings and of trains thought to take this route may not be correct.
E | IR1992 | Timișoara Nord – 03:57 Videle - Mangalia | |
E | IR1991 | Mangalia – 00:10 Bucureşti Baneasa - Timișoara Nord | |
E | 12191 | Mangalia - 21:52 Bucureşti Baneasa - Timișoara Nord |
Bucureşti northern freight ring: Chitila (Ram. Buciumeni) – Mogoşoaia
[700] (ERA 111A5) RO17/11
A bridge west of Mogoşoaia on the direct line to Pajura is being rebuilt and all services between there and Bucureşti Nord have been diverted, probably since 1 July 2015, by this route. It is not known how long this will last.
[800] (ERA 111B5) RO17/12
The combined road/rail bridges over the Danube between Fetești and Cernavodă are in urgent need of repair. The old single track rail bridges have therefore been temporarily rehabilitated. The line over the old bridges is used as the second track to substitute for the track closed for repair on the new bridges. The old bridge at Fetești is the southern one but the one at Cernavodă (actually over the Borcea branch of the Danube) is the northern one. Normally therefore, eastbound trains will use the old bridge at Fetești, and westbound trains the old bridge at Cernavodă but this cannot be guaranteed.
Palas – Constanţa via goods line
[800] (ERA 111C5) RO17/13
This line diverges at Palas and allows access to either the southern end of Constanţa station or directly onto the Mangalia line, the latter curve not being used by any passenger trains. Although there would appear to be no reason why any train should not use this route, in practice only some summer only through trains between Bucuresţi (or beyond) and Mangalia (and vice versa) have been observed to take it. R942, the summer only Satu Mare - Mangalia train, took this route in 2009 and IR1862, the 22:05 (Sun) Iași - Mangalia in July 2013. Further reports would be welcomed by the compilers.
Railway Map of Constanţa area:
Făurei avoiding line: Gâiseanca Hc – Cireşu Hm
[700,702] (ERA 109A1/B1) RO17/14
This southeast to northeast curve connects the Făurei to Galati and Făurei to Feteşti lines.
R1971 | Constanţa - 18:11 Tandarei - Galați | |
R1970 | Galați - 08:44 Ianca hc. - Constanţa |
Lunca Budieni to Copăcioasa "double track" section
[202] (49B1; ERA1 108A1 not shown on either) RO17/15
Although shown on CFR schematics as double track, the section between Lunca Budieni and Copăcioasa is actually two single lines, each over 5km long and up to 1200 metres apart. Budieni halt is located on the more southerly line. All passenger trains nominally take the southern route, but fast services between Târgu Jiu and Filiaşi (not calling at Budieni) have been known to take the northern route.
Other sparse services
The following lines have few trains (relative to service levels generally in this country) - fewer than three trains each way on at least three days a week - or do not run each weekday.
A1.1/D | Giurgiu Nord - Ruse (Bulgaria) | |
A1.2 | Golenţi - Vidin Patnichesca (Bulgaria) | |
A3 | Salonta - Kotegyan (Hungary) | |
B/500 | Domeşti - Vicşani - Vadu Siret (Ukraine) | |
E | Stamora Moraviţa - Vršac (Serbia) | |
G | Carei – Mateszalka (Hungary) | |
213 | Radna - Remetea Mică | |
216 | Sânnicolau Mare - Vălcani | |
302 | I.L.Caragiale - Târgoviște | |
307 | Bălăuşeri hcv. - Praid | |
905 | Golești - Cămpulung - Parcul Kretulescu h. | |
906 | Pitești - Curtea de Argeș | |
908 | Roșiori Nord - Turnu Măgurele | |
909 | Alexandria - Zimnicea | |
914 | Strehaia - Motru Est Gr. Călători | |
925 | Oravița - Anina | It is unclear if this train is running in 2016/17 |
Deletions since last edition
215 | Arad - Arad Vest | Line fully open after engineering work |
334 | Oradea - Cheresig | Line failed to reopen in 2015/16 and again in 2016/17 |
413 | Săcuieni Bihor - Tărguşor Bihor h. | Line now has minimum service to avoid sparse status |
804 | Medgidia - Tulcea Oraș | Line now has minimum service to avoid sparse status |