EU Report: Moldova Railway Is Virtually Non-Functional

Moldova's railway infrastructure is in critical condition: all lines of the TEN-T core network are considered to be in poor condition, and almost half of the extended network is severely worn out. Trains on these sections only reach 48% of their design speed, with a maximum speed not exceeding 80 km/h, according to the TEN-T report for 2023-2025, writes bani.md. Moldova's railway network has a total length of 1,232 km of main lines, of which 875.8 km are part of the extended TEN-T network and 207.8 km are part of the core network. All lines are single-track, non-electrified and built on a broad gauge of 1,520 mm, which is incompatible with the European standard of 1,435 mm, according to data from the TEN-T report. The only technical exception is a 14 km section with a combined track gauge in the area of the International Free Port of Giurgiulesti, where both 1,520 mm and 1,435 mm gauge rails are laid. This allows goods to be transported without changing bogies or reloading. For freight transport, design speeds range from 45 to 80 km/h, which is significantly lower than the TEN-T requirement of 100 km/h, which must be achieved by 2030. Since the same lines are also used for passenger trains, speed restrictions also apply to them. Although the infrastructure was designed for an axle load of 25 tonnes, which exceeds the TEN-T standard of 22.5 tonnes, insufficient maintenance has reduced the actual operating load to 22.5 tonnes. The report also notes that 0% of the extended network is electrified and that the ERTMS (European Rail Traffic Management System) has not been implemented at all.