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) RO18/1
A south to east curve connecting the Timişoara Nord to Arad and Arad to Simeria lines.
There are no services in the current timetable, possibly due to road works involving a bridge over the line.
Teiuş avoiding line: Mihalţ – Coşlariu
[200A,300] (ERA 108A2/B2) RO18/2
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. Identification of routing is complicated by the fact that some timetables do not differentiate between the two stations but use the same name. Use of the journey planner at http://merstrenuri.ro/ is recommended as it shows the two stations separately. It transpires the avoiding line has the better service. The current situation is as follows:
Avoiding line:
R15809 03:21 Holod - Marghita
R15877 18:13 Oradea - Simleu Silvaniei
R15864 04:50 Marghita - Oradea
R15808 14:05 Marghita - Holod
R15870 13:52 Sarmasag - Oradea
Main station and W - E line:
R15861 09:39 Oradea - Marghita (dated)
R15893 16:27 Valea lui Mihai - Marghita
R15860 05:55 Marghita - Oradea (dated)
Mărăşeşti avoiding line: Putna Seacă (Mărăşeşti Ram. Putna) – Gral. Eremia Grigorescu (Mărăşeşti Ram. Gral. Eremia Grigorescu)
[500,704] (ERA 109A2) RO18/4
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 - 02:13 Focşani - Iaşi | ||
IR1661 | Bucureşti Nord - 08:52 Focşani - Iaşi | ||
IR1663 | Bucureşti Nord - 15:08 Focşani - Iaşi | ||
IR1665 | Bucureşti Nord - 19:22 Focşani - Iaşi | ||
IR1668 | Iaşi – 02:20 Tecuci - Bucureşti Nord | ||
IR1660 | Iaşi – 09:07 Tecuci - Bucureşti Nord | ||
IR1664 | Iaşi – 19:24 Tecuci - Bucureşti Nord |
Paşcani avoiding line: Paşcani triaj – Ruginoasa
[500,606] (ERA 109A4) RO18/5
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.
1541 | Iaşi - 05:51 Târgu Frumos - Braşov | ||
401 | Chişinău – 22:43 Iaşi - Bucureşti Nord | ||
402 | Bucureşti Nord - 01:43 Paşcani Triaj H. - Chişinău | ||
1540 | Braşov - 20:45 Roman - Iaşi |
(Suceava –) Cacica – Gura Humorului
[502, 513] (ERA 108C4) RO18/6
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) RO18/7
This west to north curve avoiding Tecuci station is used by trains between Mărăşeşti and Bârlad with no time shown at Tecuci.
D1 | 1862 | Iaşi - 01:26 Tecuci Nord hc. - Constanţa | |
D2 | ‘’1964’’ | Iaşi - 01:26 Tecuci Nord hc. – Mangalia | |
1662 | Iaşi - 16:48 Tecuci Nord hc. – București Nord | ||
FSSuO | 14068 | Iaşi - 18:22 Tecuci Nord hc. - Ploiesti Vest | |
D1 | 1861 | Constanţa - 03:46 Mărăşeşti - Iaşi | |
D2 | ‘’1963’’ | Mangalia – 03:46 Mărăşeşti - Iaşi | |
MSSuO | 14067 | Ploiesti Vest - 12:22 Mărăşeşti - Iaşi |
| | IR14067 | Brașov - 12:20 Mărăşeşti - Iaşi |- | | | IR14069 | Brașov - 19:13 Mărăşeşti - Iaşi |- |}
Pantelimon – Bucureşti Obor
[800] (ERA 111A5) RO18/8
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.
Bucureşti Nord – Pajura Hm. (700) – Chitila
[700] (ERA 111A5) RO18/9
Trains, usually from the east side platforms at Bucureşti Nord, bound for Urziceni and calling at all stations before Chitila, use this line which runs mostly parallel to and to the east of the fast lines. North of Pajura this line diverges away from the fast lines on a separate formation before rejoining them to enter Chitila station. The working timetable shows that seasonal trains from Mangalia calling at Ploiești Vest and vice versa (seeRO18/??) use part of this line, which is presumably bi-directional.
Bucureşti Baneasa -Ram. Pajura - Pajura Hm. (700) – Chitila)
[300/800] (ERA 111A5) RO18/10
This route is used by seasonal services between the Brașov line and the Black Sea coast, calling at Bucureşti Baneasa instead of Bucureşti Nord. Part of the route is common with RO18/9
D | 1944 | Satu Mare – 03:49 Ploiești Vest - Mangalia | |
D | 1932' | 0radea – 07:52 Ploiești Vest – Mangalia | |
D | 14088 | Brașov – 08:31 Ploiești Vest – Constanta | |
D | 14089 | Mangalia – 19:01 Bucureşti Baneasa - Brașov | |
D | 1945 | Mangalia - 19:43 Bucureşti Baneasa – Satu Mare | |
D | 1931 | Mangalia – 20:39 Bucureşti Baneasa – Oradea |
Bucureşti Baneasa - Ram Pajura - Buc. Triaj Post 17 - Bucureşti Noi Gr.C. - Chiajna
[800/900] (ERA 111A5) RO18/11
This route is used by seasonal services between the Videle line and the Black Sea coast, calling at Bucureşti Baneasa instead of Bucureşti Nord.
D | IR1992 | Timișoara Nord – 04:13 Videle - Mangalia | |
D | IR1991 | Mangalia – 00:05 Bucureşti Baneasa - Timișoara Nord |
[800] (ERA 111B5) RO18/12
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 – Post Medeea – Constanta P2 - Constanţa
[800] (ERA 111C5) RO18/13 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 seem to use it. Usage may be dependent on timekeeping.
D (April/May) | 1987 | Bucuresti Nord – 05:26 Medgidia - Mangalia | |
D (June to September) | 1923 | Sibiu – 05:26 Medgidia - Mangalia | |
D (April/May) | 1964 | Iași – 06:46 Medgidia - Mangalia | |
D (June to September) | 1944 | Satu Mare – 06:46 Medgidia - Mangalia | |
D | 1992 | Timișoara Nord – 07:25 Medgidia – Mangalia | |
D | 1922 | Arad – 08:26 Medgidia – Mangalia | |
D | 1942 | Baia Mare – 08:57 Medgidia – Mangalia | |
D | 1932 | Oradea – 10:29 Medgidia – Mangalia |
Railway Map of Constanţa area:
Făurei avoiding line: Gâiseanca Hc – Cireşu Hm
[700,702] (ERA 109A1/B1) RO18/14
This southeast to northeast curve connects the Făurei to Galati and Făurei to Feteşti lines.
D | 1971 | Constanţa – 20:18 Tandarei - Galați | |
D | “1961’’ | Mangalia – 00:26 Tandarei - Iași | |
D | ‘’1962’’ | Iași – 03:45 Ianca – Constanta | |
D | R1970 | Galați - 06:41 Ianca hc. - Constanţa |
Lunca Budieni to Copăcioasa "double track" section
[202] (ERA 108A1) RO18/15
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. Trains calling at Budieni take the southern route and all fast services between Târgu Jiu and Filiaşi and v.v. (not calling at Budieni) 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
RO 17/11 Bucureşti northern freight ring: Chitila (Ram. Buciumeni) – Mogoşoaia deleted as it is now seen as long term, perhaps permanent routing.
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 |