Skip to content
InfraWorldWide
← All projects
Railways

Brașov – Sighișoara railway rehabilitation (Corridor IV)

Rehabilitation of the Brașov–Sighișoara section of the Brașov–Simeria main line, the missing link of the Rhine–Danube (Pan-European IV) rail corridor, for 160 km/h passenger and 120 km/h freight traffic. The work is contracted in three subsections to the RailWorks consortium (Alstom, Aktor, Arcada, Euro Construct Trading '98). Subsections 1 and 3, Brașov–Apața and Cața–Sighișoara, total 84 km under a single RON 3.44 billion contract. Subsection 2, Apața–Cața, has a RON 2.86 billion contract that shortens the winding Olt valley alignment from 43.95 km to 28.2 km through the Ormeniș and Homorod tunnels; at roughly 7 km and 5 km these will be by far the longest railway tunnels in Romania, and four tunnel boring machines entered the Racoș mountains in 2024–2025. Contractual completion is October 2026 for the tunnelled middle subsection and April 2027 for the end subsections; the government approved a €630 million EIB loan for the project.

Total length
113 km
Open today
0 km
Under construction
44 km
Sections
3
Cost on record
€2.8B
3 of 3 sections carry a comparable figure

Restated into EUR at 2025 prices.

Loading map data…

Sections

Sections of Brașov – Sighișoara railway rehabilitation (Corridor IV): status, length, dates, cost, funding and contractors
SectionsStatusLengthTimelineCostFundingContractorsContract terms
Subsection 1: Brașov – Apața

Subsections 1 and 3 were awarded together in March 2020 to RailWorks: 84 km in total for RON 3,437,453,580.88 excluding VAT, 48 months of execution plus 60 months of guarantee. The per-subsection split shown here is measured from OpenStreetMap geometry

1
Show on map →
Under construction
78 of 48 contracted months
30 months past the contract date
41 km
  1. Mar 2020Tender awarded
  2. Apr 2027Expected opening
–
  • European UnionConnecting Europe Facility (82%)
  • National budgetState budget (18%)
  • Loan€630 million European Investment Bank loan approved for the Brașov–Sighișoara line
  • RailWorks (Alstom Transport – Aktor – Arcada Company – Euro Construct Trading '98)Builder
48 mo execution · 60 mo guarantee · Contract value lei 3.4B
Subsection 2: Apața – Cața

Awarded September 2020 for RON 2.86 billion (€585.53 million), four-year duration; the new alignment through the Ormeniș and Homorod tunnels shortens the subsection from 43.95 km to 28.2 km. Geometry shown here follows the existing line

2
Show on map →
Under construction28 km
  1. Sep 2020Tender awarded
  2. Oct 2026Expected opening
  • Estimated lei 2.9B(2020)
  • European UnionConnecting Europe Facility (82%)
  • National budgetState budget (18%)
  • RailWorks (Alstom Transport – Aktor – Arcada Company – Euro Construct Trading '98)Builder
Contract value lei 2.9B
Subsection 3: Cața – Sighișoara

Part of the same RON 3.44 billion contract as subsection 1 (84 km together, 48 months of execution plus 60 months of guarantee). The per-subsection split shown here is measured from OpenStreetMap geometry

167
Show on map →
Under construction
77 of 48 contracted months
29 months past the contract date
44 km
  1. Mar 2020Tender awarded
  2. Apr 2020Construction start
  3. Jun 2028Expected opening
–
  • European UnionConnecting Europe Facility (82%)
  • National budgetState budget (18%)
  • RailWorks (Alstom Transport – Aktor – Arcada Company – Euro Construct Trading '98)Builder
48 mo execution · 108 mo total · 60 mo guarantee · Contract value lei 3.4B

Contractor roles are as recorded in the award. Only builders count toward the delivery rankings.

Funding

  • European Union113 km
    3 sections
    • Connecting Europe Facility (82%)
  • National budget113 km
    3 sections
    • State budget (18%)
  • Loan41 km
    1 section
    • €630 million European Investment Bank loan approved for the Brașov–Sighișoara line

A section that lists two sources counts its full length under each: the data records which sources paid, not what share each one carried.

Related projects

Corridors

The designations this project is recorded under. Both schemes are kept: the Pan-European corridors are how these projects were described when they were planned, and TEN-T is what EU money is allocated on today.

  • TEN-T Rhine–Danube CorridorTEN-T
  • Pan-European Corridor IVPan-European

Sources

  1. CFR SA: Brașov–Sighișoara, subsecțiunile 1, 2 și 3
  2. Railway PRO: Contract signed to modernise a new section on Sighișoara–Brașov line
  3. Tunnels & Tunnelling: AKTOR enters Racoș mountains using four TBMs on new railway
  4. Club Feroviar: BEI dă 630 de milioane de euro pentru calea ferată Brașov–Sighișoara
  5. OpenStreetMap contributors (geometry of CFR line 300, ODbL)
  6. cfr.ro (dates.expectedOpening)
  7. cfr.ro (dates.constructionStart)