TRANSPORT

By Courtesy of the Ministry of Transport, Constructions and Tourism

Lying in the centre of Europe, Romania has a key position in the international economic exchanges between the West and East, North and South of the continent, between Europe and Middle East.

Romania has a infrastructure network (public roads, railways, water ways, river and maritime harbors, air passages) which connects all cities to the national transport network and to the international transportation systems.

The changes in the former Republic of Yougoslavia and in the former Soviet Union generated a total reorganization of the traditional transportation diagram in the area. As a result, Romania reinforced its position in the region.

Everything that an economy produces is practically reflected in the transports. They provide both the supply with raw materials to the producers and the distribution of the products to the final consumers, making thus a real nervous system of a country's economy, ensuring the flows of goods between economic agents.

In view of the European integration, together with the concern for economic development and integrationist policies, the transport factor needs to be considered as a barometer reflecting the health condition of the Romanian economy.

Hence, the continuous adaptation of the carriers is a direct result of a dynamic economy, operating according to the market requirements.

In Romania, the transport activities contribute by over 4.8% to the GDP and provide around 5% of the total number of jobs in the economy.

2005 was distinguished by a surprising economic growth that increased Romania's Gross Domestic Product by 4.1%. This was due to the growth in the population's consumption demand as well as to the significant growth recorded by various industries in 2005 as compared to 2004. Thus, the trade exchanges (both export and import) underwent increases by around 9%, the main industries accounting for the Romanian import and export being the light industry, the metallurgical industry, the electronics manufacturers etc.

The favorable economic circumstances at a macro-economic level reflected as well in the transport field, as 2005 meant the continuance of the upward trend recorded by the transport market during the recent years. As compared to 2004, most of the types of transport maintained their market shares, from the point of view of domestic priced distance.

    RAILWAYS

The rail transport imposes itself as a means of transportation more widely used 18 years later, with the construction of the first rail line Stockton – Darlington, made out of hot-rolled iron, with a track gauge of 1.44 m.

In the Romanian Principalities, the first attempts to build iron roads date back from the reign of Barbu Stirbey, who set out in 1855 an ambitious project to build a railway in Moldavia and, 10 years later, the first project to build a railway network is completed in Walachia.

However, it was only in 1869 that the media of the time gladly announced the inauguration of the first rail line built by the Romanian state with the aid of the English company J.T. Barkley: Bucuresti Filaret - Giurgiu: “Tomorrow, for the first time in Romania, it will be possible to carry people and goods by the power and velocity of the steam… Tomorrow, the Romanian celebrates the attainment of one of the most important discoveries of the human ingenuity, equaling the discovery of the compass and the printing machine (C.A. Rosetti, the newspaper “Românul”).

In a short while, other railway lines were being launched: on September the 7^th 1870, the line Oradea – Cluj and on April the 6th 1871 the line Arad – Timisoara. The traffic speed already increased to 16-25 km/h and the trains were mixed, with both passenger and freight railcars. In 1875, the Romanian Railway Company had a total of 925.87 km and a rolling stock fleet of 110 locomotives, 1560 freight wagons, 383 passenger wagons, 5 plough wagons, 6 line wagons and 40 wagons for the track maintenance.

While up to that moment the construction of the railway lines in the Romanian area was assigned to English companies, on August the 1st 1874 in Moldavia, the works at the first railway line built by a Romanian are started, namely the entrepreneur Grigore Eliad. He owned a fleet of rolling stock including 4 locomotives, 95 freight cars, 21 passenger cars, 4 luggage cars and 1 mail car.

As from 1880, the administration activity of Romanian railways has been organized in the well-known form of the Romanian Railways, with the abbreviation that became a symbol brand - “CFR”.

In 1901, the Administration of the Romanian Railways becomes a General Directorate within the Ministry of Public Works and Communications, through a new railway law, and in the interwar period (1922), further to a Romanian initiative at the Economic Intergovernmental Conference in Geneva, the International Union of Railways (UIC) has been established.

The period right after World War II has been a favorable period for industry development in general, and implicitly a period of development of the Romanian rail industry: in 1951, in Arad begins the construction of the K series 4 axle open wagon, with a loading capacity of 50 t. In 1959, it is put into operation the electrictraction, the first 2100 hp diesel-electric locomotives are employed, with a maximum speed of 100km/h, that will be manufactured 8 years later in Romania at Electroputere Craiova.

In 1960, three major lines which cross the Carpathians were finished. The most important was Bumbesti-Livezeni line, located in Transylvania, one of the most difficult railways in Europe, where you can admire plenty of art work (40 tunnels, 109 bridges and viaducts).

Practically, the public railway network covers now the entire country and ensures the junctions with the railway network belonging to neighbour countries.

The length of spread railway measures 11,380 km, among which 2,966 km (26.1%) double line and 3,866 km (34.0%) electrified line.

The exploitation lines have a density of 48km/1000kmp. The network is attendanced in teritory by 1.051 stations and small stations, 50 depots and locomotive bases, 120 wagon bases and yone workshops and 100 sections for the maintenance of lines, artworks and centralization and telecommunications equipment.

At this time, the whole railway network is in a modernisation and rehabilitate process. One of the aims is to make passangers trains reach the 160 km/h speed. In the long term, The Ministry of Transport, Constructions and Tourism intends to bring the passangers trains at the maximum speed of 200km/h and the freight trains at 120 km/h.

Almost all railways have the same destination - the Capital, which lies in the south-east and is the principal junction with eight main lines leaving from here, most of which are connected to international routes.

The main train station in Romania is the Northern Railway Station in Bucharest (Gara de Nord). The station is located next to Ministry of Transport, Constructions and Tourism and is easy to reach by any public transportation service.

In fact, Bucharest has six railway stations: Gara de Nord, Gara Basarab, Gara Baneasa, Gara Obor, Gara Progresul and Gara Titan. Baneasa Station is used mainly in summertime, when special train leaves from here to the seaside. Now, the railway station from Constanta, Timisoara, Cluj and Iasi are in a large process of modernisation. Romania manufactures all kinds of railway cars, as well as electric and Diesel-electric engines.

The Government Decision no. 235 of March 21^st 1991 defines SNCFR as Autonomous Administration of National Interest, with legal status and financial autonomy, while according to Government Decision no. 12, in 1998 SNCFR is divided into 5 distinct railway companies, as follows:

• Societatea Nationala de Transport Feroviar de Marfa “CFR Marfa” SA – carries out business of national public interest, for the purpose of performing railway transport of goods and meeting the country’s defense needs, and its core business is the rail transport of goods in domestic and international traffic, as well as the transport of goods in combined traffic.

• The National Company for Passenger Railway Transport "CFR Calatori" SA

• The National Railway Company "CFR " SA

• Company for Railway Assets Management "SAAF" SA

• Railway Management Company "SMF" SA

1998, the year of SNCFR’s split, meant the completion of the Romanian Railways’ restructuring process, when the rail sector began to operate based on the market economy’s principles, the implications of this process being significant, by actually marking out the beginning of an efficient competition activity. The internal liberalization of the Romanian rail infrastructure allowed the establishment of the first private freight rail operators in 1999, and currently there are over 25 freight rail operators.

   Rail transport of goods

• Transport of goods in wagonload quantities as consignments of single wagons, groups of wagons or block trains

• Transport of goods in containers, as CFR Marfa owns a network of specialized container trains linking the main cities of the country

• Special order freight trains running according to a special timetable not included in the Freight Train Local Timetable. In case you perform special transports (oversized transport) CFR Marfa can select, by mutual agreement with you, the route to be covered by the transport from the loading station to the destination station.

• Ordered freight trains, as included in the freight train timetable in force

• Rental of freight wagons

• Transshipment of goods in the junction points with large gauge railways

• Centralized payment of transport and accessory charges, according to requests, both for local and international traffic

• Execution of domestic and external transit customs formalities

• Registration in CFR Marfa’s fleet of private freight wagons

• Shunting in CFR pre-stations, on sidings and in loading-unloading areas

• Granting special prices for new transports of goods

• Combined traffic with loading/unloading of consignments on/off the ferry-boat

CFR-Marfa

Services provided by CFR Marfa

Ro-La transport

Overview

The Ro-La combined transport technology (Rollenden–Landstrassen or “rolling road”) appeared in the European Union countries to facilitate the transport of goods. Currently, the transport of trucks on Ro-La specialized wagons has a share of 10-15% in the total combined transport technologies at a European level.

The Ro-La transport is being seen in Europe as the “transport of the future” because:

• Implies the organization of the “door-to-door” freight transport;

• Protects the environment through the environmental-friendly aspects of the rail transport;

• Protects the road infrastructure (one truck of 40 tons has an impact on the road infrastructure equivalent to around 80,000 – 100,000 cars)

• Relieves the bottlenecks on the roads and at the border crossing points.

Brief history of Ro-La transport

The transport of road lorries by train is applied by state policy for the purpose of protecting the road infrastructure and environment protection. Further to that policy, the Ro-La transport underwent a significant development in Austria, Hungary, Switzerland and Slovenia, countries that applied a restrictive policy in what concerns the traffic of heavy vehicles on public roads, favoring by subsidies the Ro-La transport system.

In Romania, there have been attempts to implement this transport system, of which we mention:

• Ro-La train from Bucuresti Progresu to Kaspichan, train that ran from 1992 to 1995;

• Ro-La train Glogovat – Sopron Hatar, running in 1999;

• Ro-La train Bradu de Sus – Kaspitchan, running in 2000;

• CFR Marfa is interested in the development of the Ro-La transport and, for that purpose, it owns a number of:

  • 16 Sdgmnss type ø760 wagons (newly built/Romanian products)

  • 160 Saadkms ø380 wagons.

CFR Marfa launched the Ro-La line from Arad (Glogovat) to Wels on June 14^th 2002. This Ro-La line implied an investment effort of USD 12 million for CFR Marfa, money invested in the purchase of specialized wagons, so that to offer quality services to customers.

This product is the result of the cooperation between CFR Marfa SA and the private capital (the owner of the Ro-La terminal).

The Ro-La train addresses to all the truck owners performing transports in Western Europe, with no exclusivity in the field.

 Advantages of Ro-La

• optimal transport distance (725 km) for a Ro-La transport, resulting thus a transport time of about 20 hours, which is the maximum transport time by rail as accepted by truck drivers;

• high running speed (100 km/h)

• reduction of the time of stay for the trucks at the Romanian-Hungarian border;

• exemption from payment of road charges for trucks on Austrian territory;

• it runs during holidays and week-ends in Austrian territory, where there are normally truck traffic restrictions in those periods;

• quality and safe transport

• continuity of the transport of goods, removing the necessity to repeatedly handle the shipment

• provides accommodation for the truck drivers in a comfortable sleeping car

• reduces the wear-and-tear costs of trucks

 Ro-La routes

CFR Marfa currently owns 160 Ro-La specialized wagons, performing transport on the following routes:

• Arad Glogovat (Romania) – Wels (Austria) and back – 18 trains per week both ways

• Oradea Episcopia Bihor (Romania) – Wels (Austria) and back – 12 trains per week both ways

For any further information:

The Intermodal Traffic Department, tel. +40-21 223 0487 / +40-21 312 6416

Transport by Ferry-Boat

Overview

CFR Marfa owns as well two 12,000 tdw ferry-boats (Mangalia and Eforie) operated on the sea lines Constanta – Derince (Turkey) and Constanta – Batumi (Georgia).

Loading possibilities on a ship:

• 85 to 100 4-axle wagons;

• containers loaded on wagons

• 80 trucks

• 40 wagons and 40 trucks

• other combination of wagons, trucks and containers

 Advantages of Ferry-Boat transport Railway – Ferry-Boat

• it reduces the run distance

• it reduces the transport time

• it reduces the number of frontiers in the itinerary

• safe transport

• it ensures the continuity of the transport without repeated handling of the shipment

• competitive price

• it reduces the number of freight handling operations, eliminating thus the payment for unloading goods from the wagons and their loading on conventional ships, removing as well the risk to damage the goods and increasing the transport quality

• it eliminates the payment for storage areas in the ports

 Trucks – Ferry-Boat

• low impact on the environment

• removes the bottlenecks on the road

• safety in transport

• reduces the trucks’ wear and tear

• reduces the transport time

• reduces costs

• provides free of charge transit permits in Romania for trucks using the ferryboats

• provides good accommodation and meal conditions for the truck drivers, both on the ferry-boats and in the Hotel of the Ferry-Boat terminal

• offers free parking for 48 hours for the trucks getting off the ferry-boats in the ferry-boat terminal of Constanta

 Routes and transport times Webbeta

To meet the customers’ requirements, CFR Marfa makes available supplementary services, as well.

Your business will carry out more easily, as you are able to nominally identify the wagons in CFR Marfa’s fleet through the application WEBBETA.

The nominal identification of CFR Marf\-owned, private or foreign wagons is only made for the period when they are inside the Romanian territory.

Thus, CFR Marfa’s customers, by accessing BETA database, are able to find out at any time where their goods are precisely located. The search is being made by the number of wagon, obtaining information regarding its location and the date it reaches destination etc.

For additional information: Commercial Contracts Bureau, tel. +40-21 224 9311

    Statistics

1. Annual traffic
Tons carried (million tons)
2004                                        2005
62,8                                         55.3
Freight distance (million tons km)
2004                                        2005
14.287                                     12.941
2. Rolling stock fleet
                       2004                    2005
wagons         54.739                 51.752
locomotive         987                     987
3. Turnover (ROL million)
2004                                  2005
1.854.790                    1.834.180
4. Gross profit preliminary
(RON million)
2004                               2005
64.466                            67.137
5. Number of employees
2004                               2005
20.294                            19.310
6. Railway stations operated
2004                             2005
646                                650
7. Railway stations opened for international freight traffic
2004                              2005
491                                491

The results obtained by CFR Marfa in 2005 as compared to 2004 reveals a drop of activity in the field of quantity indicators. This fact is due to the aggressive activity of the private rail operators on the freight rail market.

The average transport distance of the goods carried by CFR Marfa was 234.1 km in 2005, while the private rail operators carried goods on an average distance of 262.2 km, performing thus mainly shuttle transport on through routes.

In what concerns the international transport of CFR Marfa, the export-import traffic grew by around 37.8% in absolute figures, from 40.5% to 27.8% as a share in the total transported goods.

Consequently, CFR Marfa maintained its position in the top of freight railway administrations in Europe, currently being on the 7th position, both from the point of view of carried volume of goods and the goods’ run, being followed by rail companies from Spain and Hungary.

 (Volume of transported freight  mil.tonnes)

 

   CFR CALATORI,
   the national operator for a modern, secure and comfortable passenger railway transport

 The rising evolution of passenger railway transport in all developped countries is motivated by the unquestionable advantages of that system, namely:

• energetic efficiency: energy consumption on transport unit is 6 times smaller than with the road system and 3 times smaller than with the naval system;

• air pollution: volume of polluters spread into the atmosphere on carried unit is only 1/10 as compared to the other transport modes;

• use of ground: the ground occupied by a railway is only 60% as compared to that required for a road with the same traffic capacity;

• social implication: fares applied by the railway system are accessible for the majority of people;

• number of accidents having as a result dead and hurt people is the smallest of all transport modes. From the statistic point of view, railway transport will be one of the securest means of terrestrial transport.

The National Company for Passenger Railway Transport „CFR Calatori” – S.A. is the main national passenger railway carrier founded as a result of SNCFR reform in 1998. In conformity with the European Union  norms, since October 1998, passenger railway transport has known a continual reorganizing process in several steps, focusing its business activity on different functions of  passenger railway transport.

By its very nature, passenger transportation is a strategic sector of national importance, an essential public service which contributes to the free movement of persons both within the country and in international traffic, and, at the same time, ensuring a high security and protection level towards the environment.

CFR Calatori is he only national passenger railway carrier in Romania which administrates passenger trains both in local and international traffic, with a railway fleet of 1096 engines and railcars (out of which: 365 electric engines, 285 Diesel electric engines, 216 Diesel hydraulic engines, 230 railcars) and 3168 passenger cars. It has been carrying passengers - in a secure, efficient and civilized way – on the 11000 km railway network, comprising 1000 railway stations, on over 1700 trains.

While in the period 1990 - 2003, railway traffic has registered a decrease, since 2004 an increase has been remarked in the number of carried passengers which is due to:

• the continuous modernization of the railway fleet of InterCity and express trains;

• the development of long-distance train fleet;

• the efforts to tailor time tables to the customers’ requirements;

• the launching of advantageous customer offers for holiday time, during summer time and winter time;

• the intense and coherent campaign of informing customers and train trip promotion.

The modernizing of the passenger car fleet is placed in the  context of measures for “rehabilitation of transport services, for the latter’s improvement and for meeting European standards in railway passenger transportation”, with a view to integrating them into the European transport system” (in conformity with the Prioritary Measures Plan for the European Integration within the European Law Programme).

During the period 2003 – 2006, the rolling stock fleet will purchase 120 Diesel railcars of the Desiro type (known as „Sageata Albastra”), a fact which will trigger economic and social implications, respectively: integration into the European transport system will be facilitated, passengeer rolling stock fleet will improve, national field industry will revigorate, as well as connected industries, new jobs will be created, efficiency of railway transport will increase due to an increased traffic volume at high-level technical and economical  parameters.

During the period 2003 – 2004, the new railcars started to run as  InterCity and Express trains. In 2005 and the first third of the year 2006, this type of railcar was put into functioning to form some fast train on the routes: Timisoara-Arad-Baia Mare and back, Cluj Napoca-Oradea and back, Bucuresti-Câmpulung and back, Pitesti – Curtea de Arges and back, Târgu Jiu – Craiova – Caracal and back, Sibiu - Piatra Olt - Caracal and back, Iasi – Vatra Dornei and back.

Until 31 March 2006 were delivered 84 railcars.

In order to increase passengers’ comfort, on 30 of the 84 railcars have been mounted armchairs of the Intercity type produced by S.C.ASTRA Vagoane Calatori S.A. Arad.

The following is a list of advantages of running those railcars:

• they ensure passengers’ transport with an increased comfort level, both with the Intercity type, and with the express and fast type of trains;
• 3 coupled railcars can run toghether, driven by one driver;
• air-conditioning for all train seats;
• ergonomic couches;
• panoramic view windows;
• noise insulation;
• large automatic-closure access doors;
• an agreable lighting;
• facilities for persons with locomotive disabilities;
• specially arranged toilet and multifunctional room;
• ageable atmosphere ensured by ambiental music broadcast during the trip;
• automated machines for cold and hot drinks;
• reduced fuel consumption;
• low level of noxes resulted from ccombustion (Euro 3).

Those railcars run on routes with mainly non-electrified track, for example: Bucuresti -  Iasi and back, Bucuresti – Bicaz and back, Bucuresti – Galati and back, Bucuresti -  Mangalia and back, Bucuresti – Pitesti – Craiova and back, Bucuresti – Pitesti – Câmpulung and back, Cluj Napoca   – Timisoara and back, Cluj Napoca – Sibiu and back, Cluj Napoca – Deva and back, Cluj Napoca – Oradea and back, Cluj Napoca – Satu Mare and back, Sibiu – Craiova and back, Sibiu – Brasov and back, Sibiu – Timisoara and back.

In the future, as a result of the progressive increase of the number of railcars, some other interregional trains will be replaced, which are currently formed of sets of coaches and engines; also, those railcars will be adapted  to run not only on totally electrified tracks, but also on non-electrified tracks or partially electrified tracks.

In 2003, CFR Calatori concluded a contract for the modernization of  57 Diesel electrical engines, a business activity specific for S.C. ELECTROPUTERE S.A.Craiova and focused on achieving the following major objectives:

• reducing fuel consumption;
• reducing the noxes level;
• increasing passengers’ comfort by using electric energy equipment for  heating and ensuring air-conditioning of coaches;
• increasing the engines’ fiability;
• reducing maintenance and repair costs for engines.

40 modernized Diesel electric engines have been delivered.

With the view to rehabilitating its rolling stock, CFR Calatori has modernized 100 coaches – 30 1-st class coaches, 60 2-nd class coaches and  10 bar cars – forming the high quality trains. That modernization programme  was achieved at Astra Vagoane Arad and Grivita – Bucuresti Workshops. New boggies were furnished to coaches, allowing a speed of 160 km/h, while their interiors were fit out, compartments were provided, and a saloon placed in the middle of the car, as well as a « family compartment », having four adult seats and two seats for children.

The first class cars and bar coaches are equipped air-conditioning, and the second class cars are provided with heating and ventilation equipment. Among the improvements supplied to the above-mentioned cars can be counted: ergonomic couches upholstered with plush, loud-speaker equipment, articulated access doors, nonskid and waste resistant carpets. Apart from the kitchen, bar coaches have three specially-designed places for serving passengers – bar and dinning car-type – and other very modern endowments, such as: kitchens equipped with refrigerators, freezers and microwave oven, frigorific windows for drinks and sliding doors.

In 2005, in order to meet passengers’ requirements, CFR Calatori put into traffic five modernized double-deck coaches, forming some fast trains. Those cars are modernized by S.C. Remar Pascani and have 120 seats, equipped with loud-speaker, heating and air-conditioning installation, they have automatic access doors, and can reach a maximum speed of 120 km/h.

All these improvements and modernizations supplied to CFR Calatori rolling stock have determined a permanent increase of passengers number transported daily.

Thus, while in the first semester of the year 2006, ran 1630 trains daily, on an average, an increase of the passengers number daily carried was registered - by 5,2% more than 2005. This increase points out to the fact that the policy applied has been, on the one hand, to attract the public towards this mean of transport, and on the other hand to extend the mobility level of passengers by increasing the daily frequency of trains. The average daily development of those indicators in the last years was as follows:

The increase in the number of carried passengers is determined by the adopted commercial policy, namely to offer some facilities to the beneficiary carried daily or periodically, and this fact has led to the increase in the number of sold commutation tickets.

Regarding the maintaining on the transport market, at the change of train timetable from 11 December 2005, the society policy was to permanently tailor the transport offer (expressed by train /km) to the beneficiary requirements.

Since the foundation of S.N.T.F.C. “CFR Calatori” - S.A., the market share of the passenger railway transport  has been expressed through the percentage evolution of carried passengers on the railway  as compared to the total number of carried passengers by the four transport systems, as follows:

In the first three months of the year 2006, in comparison with the first semester of the year 2005, it can be noticed an increase of the transport offer (expressed by train-km), especially on express and InterCity trains (by 9,7% respectively 8,9%), and on fast trains by 3,4%, while on the local trains it has decreased by 1,3%.

The volume indicators describing the transport activity: carried passengers, respectively passengers km – were achieved on the first semester of the year 2006, on a 100,2% respectively 94,8% proportion, and their monthly development is presented below:

 

Analyzing the two indicators of the society, that describe demand on the transport market in the first semester of 2006, as compared to the same period of the last year, it can be noticed the railway traffic recovery regarding the carried passengers, while the passengers journey route length has decreased by 5,2%   comparative to the first semester of the year 2005.

Considering the customer-oriented policy of CFR Calatori, there is an implementation process of the xSell project currently under way. This project represents an automatic system for the automatic issue of tickets and reservation of seats. The operating of xSell system is making evident a set of advantages, as follows:

• The average time reduction of ticket issue, to approximately 45 seconds/served passenger;

• The system can release ticket for any class and train, from any work station, on any transport relation;

• It is possible to sell tickets in advance, and automatically offer a solution to the customer;

• Tickets issued automatically offer control and security elements, that make the falsification impossible.

• The possibility of rebuilding the conditions  in which a ticket was released;

• The uninterrupted operating;

• Cash management is automatic, fast and without mistakes;

• The majority of printed forms that had to be drawn up by the commercial staff during the ticket sale is eliminated;

• All information required in establishing and administrating the marketing politics can be easily stored and registered

• the increase of different options of services, depending on the client categories.

The xSell automatic ticketing system has been introduced in over 70 units (stations and travel agencies), where there were created more than 300 work stations for sales, reports, amd information. Among these can be mentioned: the stations and travel agencies of Bucuresti, Craiova, Tg. Jiu, Petrosani, Timisoara, Cluj Napoca, Iasi, Nicolina Constanta, Mangalia, Brasov,  the health resort of Valea Prahovei, Suceava, Oradea, Arad, Baia Mare, Braila, Buzau, Ploiesti Sud, Ploiesti Vest, Curtici, Satu Mare, Sighetul Marmatiei, Orsova, Caransebes, Lugoj, Drobeta Turnu Severin. Until the end of the year 2007, xSell system will be extended on the entire national network.

S.N.T.F.C. “CFR Calatori” - S.A. manifests an invariable concern regarding the improvement of passenger railway activity and the improvement of service quality offered to passengers through the increase of the journey comfort and the reduction of the journey time, in fully secure traffic conditions.

    CFR-SA

CFR-SA manages the public railway infrastructure, as well as the assets obtained from its investments, developments and/or modernizations, under a contract between the Ministry of Transport, Construction and Tourism (MTCT) and the National Railway Company “CFR” SA.

CFR-SA owns, as private property, railway infrastructure elements other than those that constitute the public railway infrastructure such as buildings and land. The Company’s management team coordinates all activity by means of specialized departments, and activities in the field are coordinated by 8 Regional Offices (subsidiaries): Bucuresti, Craiova, Timisoara, Cluj, Brasov, Iasi, Galati and Constanta.

The principal activities of the National Railway Company “CFR” SA are:

• The management of the railway infrastructure and the control of the railway transport operators’ access to it;

• The development and modernization of the Romanian railway infrastructure in compliance with European standards, with a view to ensuring compatibility and interoperability with the European railway system;

• The organization, planning, coordination and control of the operating, maintenance and repair activities for the railway infrastructure;

• The coordination of the industrial activities and associated services with a view to ensuring the proper and efficient operation of the railway   infrastructure;

• The management of the auxiliary railway patrimony.

CNCFR’s Mission Statement is: CFR SA offers to the railway operators an efficient, environmentally-friendly infrastructure on which passengers and commodities can be transported safely and securely, irrespective of the season, time of day,  weather conditions, according to set timetable, and at competitive tariffs.

The classification of the railway tracks within the public infrastructure in terms of importance shows that, out of the 17,533 km of public infrastructure, 5,786 km represent corridors, 2,738 km main lines, and 9,009 km secondary lines.

The railway lines are electrified in alternating current at 25 kV/50 Hz  along 3,929 Km (standard-gauge network), 2,309 km of which are electrified on double track.

With 20,731 km of built and operated tracks made available to all the railway operators, Romania ranks sixth in Europe after Germany, France, Italy, Poland and Ukraine.

CFR-S.A. “offers the railway infrastructure to the transport operators, impartially, on the basis of the track access contract.” This contract is the first law with reference to CFR SA’s capacity as railway infrastructure manager in Romania and to the conditions under which it can allow the domestic and foreign railway transporters to access the infrastructure for certain periods of time and on certain routes.

According to the provisions in force, the foreign railway transport operators and the international groups that operate railway transports are allowed to access the public railway infrastructure under the law and in compliance with the international agreements and conventions to which Romania has agreed.

In compliance with Directive no. 440/1991 of the European Community Council, the Romanian Railways are charged with the integration of the national railway infrastructure within the European technical and operational parameters, in order to become a compatible and interoperable part of the future Trans-European railway network.

In 1994, on the occasion of the Pan-European Transport Conference in Crete, the main Trans-European transport corridors were established to be subsequently confirmed at the Helsinki Conference in 1998. Two of the nine Trans-European corridors transit Romania, namely:

• Corridor IV: Berlin/Nurnberg-Prague – Budapest – Constanta/Thessalonik/Istanbul;

• Corridor IX: Helsinki - St. Petersburg-Moscow/Pskov - Kiev - Liubashevska - Kishinev - Bucharest - Dimitovgrad - Alexandropolis.

In this context, CFR SA initiated a series of railway rehabilitation and modernization projects which are now in various stages of implementation or design.

Market Conditions for CFR S.A.

Passenger and Freight Services

During 2004, the traffic activity, managed in 1,000 stations and flag stations, was coordinated daily by means of 23 Traffic Control Centers that directed over 1,500 passenger trains and over 900 freight trains.

The on-time train performance of the running passenger trains was 91.41 %, while the direct freight trains recorded 98.92 %. In 2004, the whole network passenger train commercial speed was 45.69 km/h while the freight trains recorded 27.32 km/h.

During the effective period of the current contract between CFR and Calatori and Marfa, CFR-SA shall ensure the required traffic capacities of the public railway infrastructure for the transport of the following minimum volume:

Transport Volumes
TRAFFIC	Unit of Measure	2005		2006	2007
Passengers	Billion passenger km	8.81	8.98			9.16
Goods	Billion net ton km	21.77	22.21			22.65
TU - billion conventional traffic units		30.58	31.19			31.81

The traffic capacities of the public railway infrastructure can be annually revised, according to market demands. Practically, the transport capacity of CFR-SA exceeds the demands of all the railway operators, on the condition that their requests are reasonably distributed over 24 hours.

CFR-SA’s traffic volume places the company on the sixth spot in Europe (according to the EU’s 2002 statistics):

Traffic Volume Statistics (EU – 2002)
No.	Railway	Total millions of conventional tons km	millions of tons km	millions of pass km
1	Germany	151,202	76,815	74,387
2	France	125,019	55,448	69,571
3	Poland	73,721	54,015	19,706
4	Italy	66,567	22,815	43,752
5	U.K.	57,100	8,300	39,800
6	Romania	28,033	16,401	11,632
7	Austria	24,505	16,299	8,206
8	Czech Republic	24,486	17,220	7,266
9	Sweden	21,448	15,442	6,006

Traditionally, CFR SA has been utilizing a series of indicators in order to characterize the operation of the railways. The most important are:

• The volume of transported freight: it continuously decreased since 1990 until 2000, but the present has seen some increase. An increase of 1 to 2 % per year until 2010 is expected.

• The freight transport distance (length of haul) is dependent on the freight traffic structure.

• The average transport distance has been increasing starting with 1997 because the short distance coal shipments have significantly decreased.

• The distance covered by freight trains continuously decreased until 1994, but starting with 1995 it underwent an increase due to the option to transport faster the commodities to their destination, by reducing train assembly time.

• The number of transported passengers continuously decreased until 1994, while in 1995 and 1996 it underwent a slight increase. Starting with 1995, the value of this indicator decreased until 2001 and then started to increase again. An increase of 1 to 2 % per year is expected until 2010.

• The passenger travel distance has the same evolution as number of transported passengers. (increase of 1% to 2 % per year)

• The average transport distance in passenger traffic. Starting with 1993, an increase of about 10 km has been recorded, which is still a fact today due to the reduction in the number of short distance travels with monthly passes.

• The passenger train travel distance.  Starting with 1997, the relation between demand and available capacity finds a more correct balance. It is important to mention that such a correlation has to be preserved on the basis of an optimum relation between the passenger transport capacity measured in train km and the forecast railway operation measured in train km.

• The average static load is almost constant.

• The freight wagon rolling (hauling time) increased between 1990 -1993, but, starting with 1994, a continuous decrease has been recorded as a result of properly adjusting the rolling stock fleet according to market demand.

• The average gross weight of freight trains is used to determine an optimal balance between the need to transport the freight handed over for shipment to its destination and the necessity to reach reduced specific consumption rates for fuel, lubricants and electric power.

CFR-SA has recently developed a digital communication network in accordance with European and UIC standards. The main features of the global communication network are its complexity and uniformity. The network consists of five main networks, each of them having advanced technology and providing complete telecommunications services, flexibility and safety and includes:

• The Fiber Optic Cable Network - CNCF CFR S.A. has installed 4,200 km of 20-fiber optic cable along the railway tracks, action in progress;

• The Synchronous Digital Transmission Network – is based on a multiple ring topology and has a complete range of transmission capabilities: STM16, STM4, STM1, E3 and E1;

• The ATM network – provides intelligent transport through dynamic route commutation, package commutation and specific IP applications;

• The Synchronization Network – provides synchronization signals, thus increasing the network availability and safety. GPS-controlled watches and a Cesium watch, distributed throughout the country, provide high-quality synchronization signals with 10^-12 accuracy to all network elements, in order to secure the uniformity of all digital transmissions;

• The ISDN Commutation Network – provides high-quality telecommunication services, high-speed data transmission and videoconference applications.

Combining advanced technologies with outstanding performance, the digital communication network has a guaranteed availability, dedicated capacity, as well as secure services of a remarkable quality.

    Bucharest METRO

In 1977 was set up “Întreprinderea de Exploatare a Metroului” turned in 1991 into “Regia de Exploatare a Metroului Bucuresti” and, by reorganization, according to the Government Decision no. 482/1999, it turned into “Societatea Comerciala de Transport cu Metroul Bucuresti METROREX S.A.”, under the authority of the Ministry of Transports, Construction and Tourism having as activity object “the passengers transport with metro using the terrestrial and underground railway network, within safety traffic conditions, in order to comply with the public, social and civil defense interest.”

METROREX is a joint-stock company owned by the estate which performs activities of public and strategic interest.

For these services, METROREX receives from the estate budget money transfers to cover the differences between its own revenues resulted from the passengers transport activity and the total expenses, including the ones determined by the civil defence objectives operation, maintenance and repair.

The infrastructure and technological installation operation, maintenance and repair is performed by the present personnel (4.100 people) distributed in several main sub-units, as follows: electro-energetic, electro-mechanical, automatic lines block installation (BLA), automations and telecommunications, lines-tunnels, metro stations administration, commercial, depots.

The rolling stock maintenance and repair activity was taken over for a 15 years period, starting with 1^st July 2004, by S.C. Transport ALSTOM S.A, following the contract signature in November 2003, contract approved by the Government Decision no. 47/22.01.2004.

Built, equipped and put into operation in stages, on certain extensions, starting with 1979, the present metro network is now of about 62.2 km double track, structured on 4 metro lines, 45 metro stations, 3 depots.

The metro transport system is continuously monitored and coordinated by a Central Dispatching Centre, which subordinates some other five branch dispatching centres.

   1. METROREX market share

Although it covers only 3,7% of the Bucharest entire public transport, because the metro offers a higher transport capacity within comfort, regularity and safety traffic conditions, Metrorex provides the transport of about 20% of the total passengers using urban public transport.

   2. Metro network development

The present operating metro network is structured as follows:

   3. The number of transported passengers’ development within 2003 -2005

 Although the metro covers only 3,7% of the Bucharest entire public transport, because it offers a higher transport capacity within comfort, regularity and safety traffic conditions, its transport facility service is, on average, of 20% from the total passengers number using public transport.

The Bucharest metro network presently transport, on average, over 360.000 passengers per day and over 11 million passengers in a month.

The number of transported passengers’ development within the last three years is the following:

PUBLIC ROADS

The public road network in Romania totals 78,487 km, among which 114 km highways, 14.697 km of national roads, 36.010 km of county roads , 27.781 km of communal roads and 119,988 km of streets in rural localities.

The national roads network includes 114 km highways and 4,680 km international European roads "E". About 70% of the total road traffic and 90% of the international traffic make use of the national roads network.

The density of public road network is 0.64/km2. Since 2000, The Ministry of Transport, Constructions and Tourism has begun many projects of modernisation and rehabilition the national roads. As a result, the technical parameters of national roads are now improved. The circulation capacity has increased as well the circulation safety.

Considering the fact that Romania is located at the junction of pan-european transport corridors IV and IX, several projects for constructing highway have begun. Therefore, in a short time, Romania will have even better conditions for road traffic.

NAVAL TRANSPORTATION

The water way network is located in south and south-east part of the country.

The network has a total length of 1,690 km. The water way network includes the international navigable Danube (1,075 km), the navigable branches of Danube (524 km) and the navigable ways - the Danube-Black Sea Canal and Poarta Alba-Navodari.

The interior water way network and The Black Sea totals 32 harbors, among which 6 maritime harbors and 26 river harbors.

Maritime navigation mostly involves big deadweight ships. Sixty percent of this country's imports and exports are made through the port of Constanta.

Constanta harbour represents a turning point for all the traffic flux from The Black sea and represents also a key point for the Black Sea - North Sea connection. By using the Constanta Harbor, the navigable ways between Suez Canal, Eastern Mediterranean Sea and Central Europe become shorter with 300 km.

At the same time, using the RO-RO and fery-boat systems existing in Constanta Harbour the connection between the european continent and Middle East is being made. These routes are used especially for energetic resources and freight transportation.

Both river and maritime harbors have now free zones in the neighbourhood of duane. Here, the foreign investors have all the specific facilities. Constanta Sud, Basarabi, Sulina, Galati, Braila, Giurgiu, Curtici-Arad are the free zones which operates at this time.

    The Romanian Naval Authority

The Romanian Naval Authority is the specialized technical body subordinated to the Ministry of Transport, Construction and Tourism through which the latter exerts its function as a state authority in the field of the safety of navigation.

The Romanian Naval Authority is a public institution, with extra-budgetary funds and legal personality, having its headquarter in Constantza Port No.1, which was established by merging the Inspectorate of Civil Navigation (ICN) and the Romanian Register of Shipping. As a result of the merger, RNA took over the rights and the obligations of both corporate bodies, which consequently were dissolved.

Romanian Naval Authority has the following main tasks:

• inspection, control and surveillance of navigation in Romanian navigable waters;

• fulfillment of the obligations assumed from the international agreements and conventions to which Romania is part of;

• represents the Romanian Government within the international organizations in the field of naval transports;

• implementing of the international rules, regulations and conventions into Romanian legislation;

• development, endorsement and, if the case may be, submission of drafts laws and mandatory norms to the Ministry of Transports, Constructions and Tourism for approval;

• Port State Control and Flag State Control;

• coordination of the search and rescue activities in the Romanian navigable waters and the actions to be taken in case of navigation accidents and casualties;

• protection of navigable waters against pollution by vessels;

• sanctioning of the contraventions and investigation of the navigation accidents and casualties;

• registration of ships under Romanian flag;

• registration, endorsing and certification of Romanian seafarers;

• technical surveillance and certification of maritime and inland water ships, offshore drilling units flying the Romanian flag and of naval equipments as per RNA regulations;

• supervises the compliance of the Romanian naval transports with the provisions of the ISM Code and ISPS Code.

The Romanian Naval Authority exerts its tasks through its own headquarter, the harbours master's offices and technical inspectorates, which become its operative territorial bodies, without legal personality. The jurisdiction areas of the operative territorial bodies are settled by the General Director and approved by the Managing Board of RNA.

The management of the Romanian Naval Authority is ensured by the Managing Board, composed of 11 members, leaded by a President, being also the RNA's General Director.

RNA MISSION AND OBJECTIVES

The RNA management is intended to meet the clients requirements to the highest standards of quality.

This approach aims to assure the employment of all knowledge and professional experience of its personnel, as well as the technical resources of the institution. For this purpose, the Romanian Naval Authority is concerned about the development of its human resources through an effective training programme for all personnel. The contribution of all institutional components is vital in the effort of achievement of the settled strategic objectives.

The main objectives which RNA intends to achieve are the following:

• increasing the safety of navigation level;

• decrease of the detention rate of Romanian flagged vessels down to at least EU average;

• continuos applying all the provisions and regulations of the Paris MoU on PSC;

• transposition into the Romanian legislation of the acquis communautaire, of international conventions amendments, to which Romania is part of, in the navigation field;

• active participation within all international organizations in the navigation field to which Romania is member of;

• substantial improvement of technical inspections standards conducted in view of issuing the statutory certificates;

• continuous improvement of Romanian seafarers registration and certification system;

• accomplishment  of VTMIS project and starting the Maritime AIS project;

• continuous development of RNA's assets and technical resources;

• strengthening of RNA economical and financial discipline, through effective and efficient costs control and debts recovering;

• continuous improvement of training process for all employees;

• continuous improvement of the quality of its services for RNA customers through an efficient reduction of bureaucracy and the improvement its of activities;

• free access to the public interest information, decisional transparency;

• ensuring the clients' satisfaction.

On the strength of these main objectives, RNA has established short and medium term objectives for each of its department, through which it applies the general development strategy.

The partial objectives of RNA departments are correlated from the managerial, functional and operative viewpoints, as part and parcel of the general strategy aiming to achieve the RNA's main mission through a professional, coherent, flexible and efficient activity.

RNA role will not sum up only on maintaining the safety and security standards on its field of activity. It will also actively involve in promoting and sustaining the naval transports operations by the efficiency of its activity, so that it will minimize at the lowest level the economical and bureaucratical impact on the system, will provide technical assistance and will promote worldwide the Romanian naval transport image.

The continuous improvement of the quality of our services, in compliance with the national and international requirements in the field of merchant navigation and ports operation, in order to promote and develop the highest standards on ships, crews and passengers' safety, as well as environment protection against pollution, represents the main mission of the Romanian Naval Authority policy.

Through the implementation of the above principles, RNA will carry into effect the committed vision.

Our motto "Safety through Quality" best illustrates RNA's vision to become a leader in safety and security of the naval transport, by the quality and the professionalism of the services provided.

PORT STATE CONTROL 

Port State Control is a system concerning international standards on safety of ships preventing marine pollution and assurance of working and life conditions on bord to maritime vessels under foreign flags and of harmonized inspection procedures designed to eliminate the sub-standard ships from operation.

Port State Control is carried out by Port State Control Officers (PSC Os) properly trained and qualified, duly authorized to carry out Port State Control inspections in accordance with the Paris MOU.

Romanian PSC Os were trained during the years in different international courses (International Maritime Academy Trieste, Antwerpen, Cardiff, Istanbul, Klaipeda), seminars and twinning projects as well. All PSC Os are certified as captains and chief engineers and four of them are certified by The European Commission as "Trainer for Trainees on Port State Control."

Principles

Our target is to inspect at least 25 % of the estimated number of individual foreign merchant ships which enter in Romanian ports, in one year period.

"No more favourable treatment" principle

In applying the relevant instruments (conventions) for the purposes of Port State Control, the principle of "no more favourable treatment" is applied to ships which fly the flag of a State which is not a party  to that convention.

In such a case ships are subject to a detailed inspection and the PSC Os follow the same guidelines as those provided for ships to which the relevant instruments are applicable.

Targeting

Every day a number of ships are selected for a Port State Control inspection throughout our ports.

To facilitate such a selection, the relevant database, 'BSIS' and SIRENAC are consulted by PSC Os for acquiring information on ships particulars and the reports of previous inspections carried out within the  MoU region.

Paris MoU and Equasis web sites are consulted as well.

Detention Rates of Romanian Ships in Paris MoU Area

The tremendous results achieved as regards the decreasing of the detention rate of Romanian vessels is shown by the scheme:

Information exchange

The results of each inspection and details from inspection reports are introduced and recorded in two central databases, which are located in St. Malo, France and Novorossiysk, Russia.

These databases can be accessed by all users of the MoU region to consult inspection files, to insert new inspection reports or to use the electronic mail facility.

WHO NEEDS PORT  STATE/FLAG STATE  CONTROL?

• IN A PERFECT  WORLD PORT STATE CONTROL  WOULDN'T EXIST.

• PSC IS THE LAST LINK IN THE CHAIN OF SAFETY OF People/Planet/Properties.

FLAG STATE CONTROL

The responsibility for ensuring the compliance with the requirements laid down in the international maritime conventions belongs to the Flag State.

The new regime of FSC inspections was laid on discovering the deficiencies which could lead to ship's detentions in foreign ports, due to a sub-standard condition, the final goal being the prevention of such detentions and consequently the decreasing of the detention rate.

RNA has concentrated its efforts in adopting and implementing into the national legislation of the acquis communautaire in the field of maritime safety and security. As a result, FSC procedures and a new FSC Manual were issued.  

By the Minister of Transports, Constructions and Tourism Order No.2/2004 regarding the setting-up of some measures for the improvement of the safety of navigation, ships older than 20 years are no more accepted to be registered under the Romanian flag.

Moreover, on the 1st of July 2004, the RNA has reported to IMO that the entire provisions of ISPS Code were implemented to all Romanian flagged vessels. RNA is continuously monitoring all the requirements of the ISPS Code regarding the security aspects, of the Romanian and foreign vessels as well.

Main task

To eliminate all Romanian sub-standard vessels from operation in order to decrease the detention rate of Romanian flagged vessels down to at least EU average

Achievements

In this respect, taking into account the commercial schedule, it was decided that all Romanian ships to be Flag State Control inspected whether they are calling Romanian or foreign ports.

RNA focused on the established objective mainly to reduce the detention rate below 5%. As a result by the end of 2005 the detention rate was 4,5 %.

Due to significant progresses on average detention rate, based on a three years period of time, the Romanian flag passed from black to grey list of Paris MoU and leading to white list by the end of 2006.

Following the good results of the standards achieved from Romanian flagged vessels and the overall improvements within Romanian Naval Authority, in may 2005 at the 38^th Meeting of Paris MoU Committee held in Helsinky, Finland, by unanimous decision Romania was accepted as cooperative member state within this memorandum.

Taking into consideration the overall progresses, RNA decided, at the beginning of 2006, to apply to Paris MoU on PSC as a full member of this organization.

TECHNICAL CERTIFICATION

Main tasks

• To provide the survey and certification of ships and offshore drilling units flying the Romanian flag in accordance with the construction and outfitting requirements applicable as per the RNA norms in order to be fit to sail and operate in safe conditions;

• To provide survey of ships and offshore drilling units flying the Romanian flag and to issue by means of the authority given by the Romanian Government the documents and certificates required in order to certify the compliance with the provisions of the international conventions to which Romania is a party or intends to apply regarding the safety of ships and navigation, safety of life at sea, cargo safety and prevention of pollution;

• To undertake the survey and certification, based on RNA norms of: materials, installations and equipment intended for shipbuilding;

• To undertake the survey of the equipment and specific materials manufactured in Romania and intended for export;

• To provide on the Romanian territory the survey and certification during construction and repair of the containers and their materials, based on the provisions of the International Convention for Safe Containers, to which Romania is a party, RNA norms and of other pertinent regulations;

• To perform tonnage measurements and to issue tonnage certificates for sea-going and inland waterways vessels in accordance with the international and national regulations in force;

• To establish and ensure the forms required for the survey activities (certificates, reports etc);

• To keep the records of the ships;

• To ensure the participation in the sessions of the international maritime and inland organizations and bodies which have as a purpose the elaboration and promotion on international level of  different conventions and regulations related to the RNA scope of activities.

Main objectives

Providing of enhanced surveys regarding the guaranty of respecting of the international and national rules and regulations for construction, reparing and alteration of ships, to ensure the conformity of ships with the International Conventions requirements aiming the increase of the safety  of ships and navigation, safety of life at sea, cargo safety and prevention of pollution.

To increase the safety level of the ships in operation hoisting Romanian flag and to improve the quality of the provided services, territorial technical inspectorates carry out enhanced surveys every 6 months for sea-going vessels older than 20 years old.

MARITIME CO-ORDINATION CENTER

To meet the requirements sets in the international SOLAS '74, the SAR '79 and OPRC '90 Convention, the Romanian Naval Authority is legally appointed as the responsible authority to perform the management and mission co-ordination for SAR and OPRC.

Maritime Co-ordination Center (MCC), through SAR  Pollution (MRCC) and VTS departments, has as its main activities, the search and rescue of human lives at sea, prevention and response to the marine pollution, as well as the improvement of the vessels' traffic safety and efficiency.

MRCC Constantza coordinates the SAR activities within the SAR Romania's maritime responsibility   zone, the maritime prevention and pollution response within the inland waterways (including ports), the Danube - Black Sea Canal, the waterways within "Danube   Delta" Biosphere Reservation.

The SAR Maritime Co-ordination Center organizes the co-operation with other Romanian and international organizations involved in rescue and response services, participating in the national and international activities such as exercises and initiating actions for drawing up agreements with national and international organizations involved in SAR.

The SAR Maritime Co-ordination Center evaluates SAR missions in accordance with the main objectives and SAR policy of the Romanian Naval Authority.

Constantza MRCC is also the national operational contact point, according to the National Contingency Plan, the MCC Director being the Co-ordinator of Division for Marine Operation.

VTS Constantza monitoring and controls the vessels traffic of Constantza port, designating a place to anchor, warning vessels of hazards within VTS area, gives meteorological and weather information.

All Maritime Co-ordination Center personnel are fully qualified and trained as SAR Mission Co-ordinator and OPRC as on Scene Commander, certified by International Maritime Organization and Swedish Maritime Administration. Alert and training exercises are to be conducted at regular intervals in order to improve the efficiency of personnel and to maintain them at a high standard of readiness.

Main Objectives

To save and protect lives in maritime environment, as well as to protect the maritime environment, to fulfill SAR  OPRC missions, our objectives are to:

• save 100% of lives at risk;

• minimize loss of life, injury, property damage and risk to the environment;

• maintain the highest professional standards;

• maximize SAR system efficiency through innovation;

• foster co-operative SAR  OPRC agreements;

• coordinates   prevention, response and limitation of  consequences of pollution from ships activities;

• control of ships on delivery of waste and oil residues to port reception facilities;

• ensures the tracing and control of maritime traffic at a highest standard of safety and   efficiency.

These objectives will help us to provide an effective SAR service for all those at risk and to protect the marine environment in Romania.

VESSEL TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT & INFORMATION SYSTEM ON ROMANIAN DANUBE (RoRIS) 

Out of the whole navigable part of the river, the Romanian sector of the Danube has about 1075 km (44%), being a significant section of the European transport corridor VII. With the financial support of the European Union, through a PHARE programme, a VTMIS was implemented by the Romanian Naval Authority along the Romanian part of the Danube.

The VTMIS is an important instrument/asset of traffic management having as a main role/intended for/aimed to assist the Port Control officers to follow up the voyages of the main vessels on the Romanian part of the Danube River.

The global objectives of the Romanian Danube's RIS are:

• to minimize naval incidents, to reduce polluting emissions and environmental hazard;

• to maximize effective capacity of waterways and the carrying capacity of vessels;

• to reduce the travel time, the transport costs, the fuel consumption and the workload of users;

• to provide efficient use of harbors and terminals;

• to provide effective and economic link between transport modes;

• to maximize security of passengers, crew, vessels and cargo;

• to maximize security of inland water transport infrastructure (locks, bridges, harbors, terminals);

• improving the safety of navigation on the river and the efficiency of the inland traffic, disseminating information about the traffic and navigation conditions, collecting statistics about the inland traffic.

The system manages in real time the information relative to the vessels and their voyages and provides this information also for external authorized customers. The Danube's RIS provides tactical and strategical traffic information, as well as concerning its management. It also offers information as regards the voyage planning, transport management, ports and terminals inter-modal managements, statistics, information regarding legal settlements and port fees.

The system is organized hierarchically on three levels, in accordance with the organizational structure of the Romanian Naval Authority:

• Central level in RNA headquarters in Constanta, with terminals at Ministry of Transports and Ministry of the Interior;

• Regional level in Drobeta, Giurgiu, Galati and Tulcea;

• Local level in 22 smaller Romanian ports on the Danube from Sulina to Bazias.

The system meets the requirements of the European RIS platform, defined in the frame of INDRIS and COMPRIS research/demonstrator projects and the new Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on harmonized River Information Services on inland waterways in the Community.

In each of these locations are foreseen, according to a technical specification, centers for the management of the vessels' traffic and for information regarding the transport on the river.

The system is based on the following modern technologies:

• systems of tracking and tracing with radar, AIS and CCTV;

• VHF communication network with ATIS decoding and voice recording;

• multipoint access network for data exchange;

• dGPS stations (IALA Beacon);

• software applications in WEB technology.

EXAMINATION AND CERTIFICATION OF ROMANIAN SEAFARERS

Romanian Naval Authority has competencies in:

• endorsing, certification of Romanian seafarers;

• organizing examination sessions and evaluation reports to certify navigating personnel in order to obtain certificates of competency;

• issuing, reconfirming certificates of competency for the Romanian navigating personnel;

• registration and records of the Romanian navigating personnel;

• issuing seaman's books, service books, extending the validity of certificates of competency and embarkation/disembarkation operations of navigating personnel;

• establishing methodology of maritime pilot's examination and certification programs;

• confirmation and authenticity of certificates of competency on foreign authority or third party  request;

• certify and verify the authenticity of the certificate of competency at foreign authority  or third party request;

• approving of training programs and courses of navigating personnel for Maritime Training Center;

• issuing authorization to carried out naval transportation activities , as well auxiliary and adjacent activities;

• issuing authorization to carry out selection and recruitment of the seafarers for sailing onboard Romanian or foreign flag vessels;

• controlling the firms authorized by RNA.

Reformation of Certification and Examination System of Romanian Seafarers

In order to comply with international and EU provisions, Romanian Naval Authority has reformed the examination and certification system of Romanian seafarers by implementation of the following measures:

• introduction of computer program evaluation based on questions with multiple answers;

• adjusting the system of working of  certification and examination department from RNA in order to comply with UE regulation;

• monitoring the education and training system in order to improve the skills of Romanian seafarers certified by RNA;

• census of Romanian navigating personnel and issuing of secure documents according with the provisions of STCW Convention.

• improving the quality standard in the operations carried out with the navigating personnel, economic agents which are developing naval transportation activities and recruitment agency of navigating personnel on board Romanian or foreign flag vessels.

High Priority Objectives

In order to improve continuously the examination and certification system of seafarers, Romanian Naval Authority establishes as a high priority objectives, in the short and medium response time the following measures:

• exchanging seaman books in the context of joining to the Convention 108 adopted at Geneva, revised by ILO Convention 185/2003, regarding the identity documents of navigating personnel;

• issuing the service books according with Government regulations regarding the minimum safe manning crew and according with technical prescriptions of Danube Commission as regards inland navigation;

• revising the methodology of examination and evaluation of competency of maritime, harbor and river navigating personnel in order to improve the quality of   training standards and competency of the above navigating personnel;

• selection of the independent evaluation inspectors to monitor and continuously evaluate the system of certification of navigating personnel.

    The Port of Constantza

    A. General Overview

The Port of Constantza is located at the crossroads of the trade routes linking the markets of the landlocked countries from Central and Eastern Europe with the Transcaucasus, Central Asia and the Far East. It is the main Romanian port and it ranks among the first 10 European ports.

The favourable geographical position and the importance of the Port of Constantza is emphasized by the connection with two Pan-European Transport Corridors: Corridor VII - Danube (inland waterway) and Corridor IV (rail-road).

The two satellite ports Midia and Mangalia that are located not far from Constantza Port are part of the Romanian maritime port system under the Maritime Ports Administration SA Constantza coordination.

The Port of Constantza is one of the main distribution centers for the Central and Eastern Europe, offering many advantages, of which mention must be made of:

• Multi-purpose port with modern facilities and sufficient water depths in the port basins to accommodate the largest vessels passing through the Suez Canal;
• Direct access to the Central and Eastern European countries through the Pan-European Corridor VII - the Danube;
• The major hub for the container traffic in the Black Sea;
• Good connections with all modes of transport: railway, road, river, airway and pipelines;
• Customs facilitations for commercial operations performed through the Port of Constantza;
• Ro-Ro and Ferry-boat terminals that provide a fast route to the Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea;
• Modern facilities for passenger vessels;
• Land availability for future expansion.

   a) Port of Constantza - Maritime port

The Port of Constantza is located on the Western coast of the Black Sea, at 179 nM from the Bosphorus Strait and 85 nM from the Sulina Branch, through which the Danube flows into the sea. It covers 3,926 ha of which 1,313 ha is land and the rest of 2,613 ha is water.

The two breakwaters located northwards and southwards shelter the port creating the safest conditions for port activities. The present length of the North breakwater is 8,344 m and the South breakwater is 5,560 m.

Constantza Port has a handling capacity of more than 110 million tons per year and 156 berths, of which 140 berths are operational. The total quay length is 29.83 km, and the depths range between 8 and 19 meters. These characteristics are comparable with those offered by the most important European and international ports, allowing the accommodation of tankers with capacity of 165,000 dwt and bulkcarriers of 220,000 dwt. 

Currently, there are several projects in progress, in order to build new facilities for cargo handling and to improve the transport connections between Constantza Port and its hinterland. These projects are mainly located in the South part of the port.

   b) Port of Constantza - River port

Constantza Port is both a maritime and a river port. Daily, more than 200 river vessels are in the port for cargo loading or unloading or waiting to be operated. Facilities offered by the port allow accommodation of any type of river vessel.

The connection of the port with the Danube river is made through the Danube-Black Sea Canal, which represents one of the main strengths of Constantza Port.

Due to low costs and important cargo volumes that can be carried, the Danube is one of the most advantageous modes of transport, an efficient alternative to the European rail and road congested transport.

Important cargo quantities are carried by river, between Constantza and Central and Eastern European countries: Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Austria, Slovakia and Germany. River traffic is very important for Constantza Port, having a share of 23.3% of the total traffic in 2005, when 8,800 river vessels have called to the port.

In order to cope with the future growth of river traffic, which is foreseen to register 17 million tons/year up to 2010, Maritime Ports Administration SA Constantza has started a new investment for a Barge Terminal. Such investment will improve the sailing conditions and develop facilities for the accommodation of river vessels in the South part of the port.

    c) Port of Constantza - Touristic port

Tomis marina is integrated in a harmonious manner with the architectural design of Constantza city and it represents a prolongation of the Casino cliff and a balanced transition to the city beach. Access from the city to the port can be easily made by vehicles and on foot. A series of touristical objectives of great interest can be found close to the Tomis marina: the Ovidiu Square bearing the name of the Roman poet Ovid, the Archaeological Museum, the Roman Mosaic with ancient relics of old Tomis, the Aquarium, the Genovese Lighthouse, the Casino.

Due to its favourable location and present infrastructure, Tomis marina has a high potential for nautical tourism, sporting activities and entertainment, representing a shelter for sport sailships. The capacity of the port allows the arrangement of sporting activities such as boat races.

The potential of Tomis marina and the organizational skills of N.C. M.P.A. S.A. Constantza were proven during July 1999 when Kayra boat race took place. The boat race had a route of 2000 nautical miles for 58 days, with calls at 30 ports in 6 countries, Tomis marina included. For a period of 6 days Tomis marina hosted 40 boats having lengths between 9 and 20 meters and representing 14 countries.

At present N.C. M.P.A. S.A. Constantza is developing an investment project regarding the modernisation of Tomis marina, having in view the rehabilitation and extension of the breakwaters to create a safer port and also increase its functionality and services.

Tomis marina is to become an important destination for coastal pleasure boats sailing along the Romanian sea shore with calls at Eforie, Costinesti, Neptun, Mangalia or northwards Mamaia and Midia.

Nautical tourism could become international by including Tomis marina in a Black Sea tour, for example Istanbul - Varna - Constanta - Odessa - Yalta which can be performed through coastal navigation. This route might be extended by including other ports on the Black Sea (Varna, Odessa), and also the Danube Delta.

    B. Intermodality of Constantza Port

The Port of Constantza offers excellent connections to all transport modes: rail, road, air, inland waterways and pipelines. These good connections accomplished by a significant rail, road, river, air and pipelines infrastructure, facilitate the transport of all kind of goods in the Port of Constantza.

Constantza Port is connected to the national and european rail and road system through the Pan European Corridors IV (road - rail) and it is located close to the Pan European Corridors IX (road), which passes through Bucharest. Also the Port of Constantza is located at 20 km away from International Airport "Mihail Kogalniceanu".

It is connected to the national pipelines network and with the Corridor no. VII - Danube - through the Danube-Black Sea Canal. Furthermore, Constantza Port is linked to the Rotterdam Port, through the Rhin-Main-Danube, thus being created a navigable inland waterway from the Black Sea  up to the North Sea.

The intermodal transport plays an important role in the masive growth of the transport for the next 15 years. It represents one of the best solutions for the European transport improvement. That`s why the EU gives a great attention to this transport mode and seeks the best methods in this matter. EIRAC represents an intermodal action at European level, its main partner being EIA (European Intermodal Association). EIRAC is an „elite group", formed by 50 important members from the intermodal European transport which will develop a European Intermodal Research Agenda - SIRA. This agenda represents an instrument for  EU orientation and guidance regarding European intermodal transport.

    a) Inland Connection

The Port of Constantza is connected to the Pan European Corridor VII -Danube- that links two of the main trade poles of Europe: Rotterdam and Constantza, creating a navigable inland waterway from the North Sea to the Black Sea. The length of the navigable river is 2,414 km from the Romanian terminus Sulina to Kelheim in Germany, where it connects to the Main-Danube Canal, the Romanian sector having a length of 1,075 km.

The Danube-Black Sea Canal links the Port of Constantza to the Rhine-Main-Danube Corridor, offering the most efficient and ecological transport alternative within the hinterland and at the same time a 4,000 km shortening of the sea trade routes coming from Far East and Australia through the Suez Canal

According to European Union and United Nations standards The Danube- Black Sea Canal has a class VI rating and is an 'F' class inland canal. The 64.4 km long and 90 m wide canal has a water depth of 7 m and 17,5 m clearance under the bridges and the daily running of the waterway is in the responsibility of the National Company " Navigable Canals Administration".

Located at 35.4 km from the Danube, the North Branch of the Danube - Black Sea Canal makes the connection with Midia Port through 2 double locks at Ovidiu and Navodari. The North Branch is 27.5 km long, 45-50 m wide and a minimum water depth of 5.5 m.

The easiest access to Central Europe is provided by the good navigable conditions of the Lower Danube and the highly limited number of locks (4 double locks only) on the sector from Constantza to Budapest.

Such advantages are materialised in the unique opportunity of transporting almost 18.000 tons of dry bulk through one shipment by means of a six-barge convoy.

N.C. Maritime Ports Administration S.A. Constantza promotes a series of projects aiming at improving the operation conditions in the river-maritime section of the port. The most important project in this respect is The Barge Terminal, stage I and II. Also, mention must be made of the following projects: Development of the Container Terminal on Pier II S, the second and third development stages, Modernization of port infrastructure, Port Infrastructure on Pier IIIS, Development of the railway capacity in south area of Constantza, Development of the railway system in the maritime-river sector (berth 86 - 103).

For an active participation within the European actions and a good information about the specific problems of river transport, N.C. Maritime Ports Administration S.A. Constantza is a corespondent member of Inland Navigation Europe a prestigious inland transport association recognized by the European Union. MPAC's participation in this association allows the company to actively promote the Port of Constantza, its connection with the Danube inland waterway, its facilities and services.

    b) Road Connection

The ten gates of the Port of Constantza are very well connected with the national and European road network. The connection with the Pan-European Transport Corridor no. IV has a strategic importance, linking the Port of Constantza with the landlocked countries from Central and Eastern Europe.

Constantza port is also located close to the Pan European Transport Corridor no. IX, passing through Bucharest.

There is a permanent concern for the upgrading of the port road network and the enhancement of road traffic inside the Port of Constantza. Thousands of trucks benefit from facilities offered by the Port of Constantza, ensuring a fast and flexible transport for all kinds of cargo with the "door-to-door" system.

The total length of roads in the port amounts to 100 km.

    c) Rail Connection

The railway network of the Port of Constantza is in excellent connection with the national and European railway network system, the Port of Constantza being a starting and terminus point for the Pan - European Transport Corridor no. IV. Round-the-clock train services carry high volumes of cargo to the most important economic areas of Romania and Eastern Europe.

The Port of Constantza is an important transport node of TRACECA Corridor, providing the connection between Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia, through the ferry line linking the Port of Constantza with the Port of Batumi (Georgia).

Each and every port terminal has direct access to the railway system, ensuring a safe and efficient transport of cargoes. Every day shuttle trains provide fast transport of containers to the national destinations for just-in-time delivery. The total length of railways in the port amounts to 300 km.

Having in view the rail traffic growth in the south part of the Port of Constantza and the estimated cargo growth traffic, N.C. Maritime Ports Administration S.A. Constantza promotes the development projects for the railway infrastructure within the port (Development of the railway capacity in south area of Constantza and Development of the railway system in the maritime-river sector (berth 86 - 103)).

    d) Pipelines Connection

The Port of Constanza is connected to the national pipeline system, therefore with the main Romanian refineries.

Constantza will be located on the future route of the Pan-European Oil Pipeline Constantza-Trieste, crossing  five countries, with Romania being one of them.

This route is considered to be the shortest way to Europe, and also the most economical and profitable one.

    e) Air Connection

M. Kogalniceanu Airport is the nearest airport to Constantza, located at 20 km distance from the Port of Constantza. It is an international airport and represents an air-gateway with high impact over regional development.

   C. Handling facilities for all types of cargo

    a) Liquid bulk

The main liquid bulk cargoes are represented by crude oil and oil products. The Oil Terminal can operate tanks with capacities up to 165.000 dwt, being equipped with specialized facilities for loading and unloading and connected with the pipeline system.

Oil Terminal and Rompetrol Logistics Constanta Branch are the most important operators for such cargo.

The Port of Constantza has a specialised terminal for the import of crude oil and other oil products and for the export of refined oil products, oil derivatives and other liquid chemical products.

Liquid bulk can also be transshipped into river vessels to various European destinations or carried through pipelines within the domestic hinterland. Pipelines network connects the port with the main refineries in the country thus securing fast transportation.
The oil terminal is equipped with the most modern and efficient fire and pollution fighting facilities.

    b) Dry bulk

The Port of Constantza enjoys a top position as one of the major European bulk centres.

Dry bulk is represented by: iron and non-ferrous ore, grain, coal, coke.

These types of cargo are operated in specialized terminals located next to the river-maritime basin that can operate both maritime and river vessels, with direct transshipment on barges.

Other quantities of dry bulk cargoes operated in the Port of Constantza are: cement, construction materials, phosphate etc.

Ore, coal, coke

The two specialized terminals that operate iron ore, bauxite, coal and coke have 13 berths, with depths up to 19 m. The terminals can operate both maritime and river vessels, with an unloading rate over 45,000 tons/24 hours (respectively 2,000 tons/hour/each bridge) from maritime vessels and a loading rate into barges of 2,000 tons/hour. The storage capacity is 4.7 million tons simultaneously and the annual operation capacity is over 27 million tons.

The port's terminals operate iron ores, bauxite, coal and coke. 250,000 dwt vessels and above can be accomodated and river units are operated in direct or indirect transhipment.

Chemical Products and Fertilizers

There are specialized terminal where: fertilizers, phosphate, urea, apatite and other chemical products are operated. The terminal has 10 berths with depths up to 13.5 m where they operate dry bulk and general cargoes. There are storage capacities over 100,000 tons and the operation capacity is 4.2 million tons/year.
Vessels up to 30,000 dwt can be accomodated and the total operation capacity of phosphates is 30,000 tons.

Agribulk

The Port of Constantza is a traditional partner for the Eastern and Central European countries with high agricultural production that transit their cargoes towards worldwide destinations

There are many facilities for the operation and storage of dry cereals in the Port of Constantza, which are served by 14 specialized berths, with depths between 7 and 13 m. Both river and Panamax maritime vessels can be operated. The storage facilities include silos and warehouses and have a total storage capacity of 350.000 tons simultaneously. Also, maritime vessels of big capacity are operated at sea-buoy at 16 m depth by direct transshipment from/into river vessels.

Bulk Cement and Construction Materials

There are two specialized terminals in the Port of Constantza that operate bulk cement and cement in bags.

The dry cement terminals have covered warehouses equipped with facilities for bagging and operating 24 hours/day. The transshipment of dry bulk can be made directly from barges in maritime vessels with floating pneumatic equipments.

    c) General cargo

All range of services for general cargo are efficiently provided by stevedoring companies. There can be handled food, beverages and tobacco, paper and cardboard, cellulose, rolled metals, machine parts, bagged cement and other break bulk cargo in the Port of Constantza.

Chemical Products and Fertilizers

The Port of Constantza has dedicated areas for handling and storage of bagged chemical products and fertilisers, phosphates and urea.
There can be accomodated vessels up to 30,000 dwt, while the total storage capacity is 30,000 tons for phosphates.

Timber and Other Forest Products

Important quantities of timber loaded in the Port of Constantza and dispatched over sea are handled in specialised timber terminals and stored in proper spaces.

    d) Containers

Four container terminals operate in the Port of Constantza with a throughput that has registered an ascendant trend over the last 10 years. The terminals are operated by Socep, Constantza South Container Terminal, Umex and APM Terminals.

A marked tendency of containerisation and the steady growth of the container traffic in the Port of Constantza has required the development of new container handling facilities.

Recently a new container terminal became operational in the south part of Constantza Port-Pier IIS, being designed to allow the accommodation of Post-Panamax container ships and undertake an annual capacity of 325,000 TEU's in the first stage and up to 1,000,000 TEU's in the final stage. The terminal is operated by Constantza South Container Terminal.

Passengers Terminal

The new Passenger Terminal is located in the North of the Port of Constantza, on the North Breakwater, at the passengers berth.

Destination for many Danube and also maritime cruise routes, the Port of Constantza is offering the best conditions for berthing of both river and maritime cruise vessels, facilitated by the existing depths at the new terminal. The existing mooring length is 293 m, the quay depth is 13.5 m, ensuring the mooring of big vessels, with drafts up to 10-11 m.

Located near the historic area of the Constantza city and the Tomis touristic Port, the new Passenger Terminal has an operation capacity of 100,000 passengers/year, being the most recent investment able to increase the activity on the Romanian seaside.

In the present, the Terminal is under the administration of the NC Romanian Ports Administration SA Constantza.  

    D. Projects of Constantza Port

The main strategic objective of  NC MPA SA Constantza for Constantza port system,  is to provide the necessary conditions for the adjustment to the competitive environment generated by Romania's integration into EU in 2007. The port strategy is focusing on meeting the international traffic growth requirements and especially transit traffic, looking for the modernisation and development of the infrastructure, suprastructure and services in the Romanian maritime ports. The main purposes of the projects are: to meet the future traffic growths, to improve the port operations and the transport system.

Among other projects initiated by NC MPA SA Constantza, The Barge Terminal phase I  has a great importance, beeing a project that will ensure a fluent barge traffic in the river-maritime sector. Almost 60% of the investment value represents a sovereign loan obtained by MPA Constantza from European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

Most of the projects promoted by the NC MPA SA Constantza will be placed in the southern part of the port, the future development area, having big water depths, close to the connection with the Danube river.

The main projects are:

Infrastructure on Pier III S, dedicated to specialized terminals - The purpose of the project is to reclaim 36.5 Ha of land from the sea using land filling techniques. The investment value is EURO 45 millions.

Modernization of port infrastructure - The construction works represent executions of port infrastructure in the southern part of the Port of Constanta, following-up Pier III and on Pier II in order to build new port territories, which will be part of the public domain and it will be administrated by NC MPA SA Constantza. The investment value is EURO 105 million.

Access zone bridge for the Danube-Black Sea Canal within the Port of Constantza - The project will provide a better connection of the southern part of Constantza with the national road network and also with the by-pass financed by BERD. The investment value is EURO 12 million.

Bridge accross the connection channel in the maritime-river area - The bridge is needed in order to provide the opportunity for future development of the artificial island activities. The investment value is EURO 4 million.

Also, NC MPA SA Constantza has in view projects regarding the development of the railway capacity in the South area of Constantza and the development of the railway system in the maritime-river sector, projects that concern the improvement of port railway system. The total investment value of these projects amounts to EURO 35 million.

The Barge Terminal, phase II - this investment in infrastructure represents the extension of barge terminal phase I. The investment has been generated by the increase of the river traffic in the Port of Constantza and its purpose is to assure a better barge traffic in the river-maritime sector. The investment value is EURO 38.4 million.

Completion of the north breakwater, 1.050 m extension - Benefits of this project are aiming at the increase of safety regarding operational and navigation activities in Constantza Port, mainly in the adjacent area of the south breakwater. The value of this project is EURO 84 million.

Systematization and Consolidation of Constantza Port Seashore - The necessity has occured as a result of the serious problems caused by the slope stability. The latest landfalls may affect not only the slope itself and the interior area of the port, but also the adjacent areas of the city: streets, platforms, building fundations The value of this project is EURO 8 million.

These projects are being promoted by the Maritime Port Administration Constantza as being of a great importance for developing the infrastructure and facilities offered by the port in view of the future traffic requirements.

MPA Constantza promotes  these projects in order to obtain financement from the European cohesion and structural funds available for the "Modernization and extension of TEN-T ".

Wind farm in the Port of Constantza - This project represents a national premiere. The project will be developed by a private investor, to be chosen after a tender organised by NC MPA SA Constantza for renting the territories necessary for the windmills installation. The value of the project is EURO 54 million.

    THE RIVER ADMINISTRATION OF THE LOWER DANUBE OF GALATI

The River Administration of the Lower Danube of Galati is organized as un autonomous management, under the authority of the Ministry of Transports, Constructions, and Tourism, in pursuance of the provisions made by the Government Ordinance no. 492 / 2003, fulfilling the function of waterway authority on the Romanian section of Danube from its entrance on the Romanian territory at km 1.075 to the exit into the Black Sea on Sulina arm, in Sulina berth an don the secondary arms of Danube.

The main activity of the Administration is to maintain the navigation fairway on the entire Romanian section of Danube, in order to ensure the conditions of navigation through the following:

• dredging works to provide the minimal depths required for navigation on the maritime and fluvial Danube;

“Dunarea Maritima” – a 2680 m³ trailing-suction hopper dredger

• topographic and hydrographic surveys in order to track the evolution of Sulina bar, bed loads especially at the critical spots, and to make the due decisions in terms of fairway signs and directing the dredging complexes;

• maintenance of coast and floating signs that regulate the navigation along the entire section of Danube, including the secondary arms;

• maintenance of water constructional works, wharfs, revetments, fairway fittings;

• guidance of navigation on the difficult sections through semaphore and surveillance stations;

• setting the special rules of navigation on the maritime Danube section;

• daily collection and transmission of data for the hydrologic bulleting broadcast on Radio Bucuresti I;

• editing and casting the Danube hydrologic – meteorological bulletin which includes hydrologic and weather data, minimal depths of navigation, passage dimensions, and other recommendations for the difficult navigation sections;

• elaboration and casting notices to sailors, related to navigation restrictions;

• endorsing the special works of Danube crossing and underwater crossing by cables, pipelines, and all water constructional works performed on Danube;

• elaboration of the documentation required for the printing of the Danube section map by the Danube Commission;

• elaboration of pilot charts for the Romanian section;

• special transports by ships or convoys the overall dimensions of which require restrictive measures of navigation;

• piloting maritime ships on Danube, on the section from Sulina bar to Braila, according to the Convention related to Danube Navigation Policy signed at Belgrade in 1948, and to other legal regulations in force;

• special transports on Danube, national and international tugging etc.

  
Piloted ships on Sulina Channel

Perseus – a 6600 HP Maritime Tugboat

Gheorghieni 2 – a 980 HP Tugboat

Galati 3 – a 2400 HP Maritime Tugboat

The River Administration of the Lower Danube of Galati is headquartered in Galati at 32 Portului St., and it has subdivisions in the main Danube ports: Drobeta Turnu – Severin, Giurgiu, Calarasi, Braila, Sulina.

In order to attract traffic of maritime ships to the Danube ports, the Administration offers facilities to the payment of navigation dues, subject to the frequency of transiting the maritime Danube.

The Administration has various ships from motorboats, pilot boats, and pontoons to dredgers, scows, cranes, tugboats, signaling ships etc. and it can supply various home and international services.

   TRANSPORTATION BY AIR

The Romanians had a decisive contribution to the development of aeronautics. Traian Vuia was the first in the world to take off, in 1906, with an aeroplane propelled exclusively by the force of its engine. In 1910, in Paris, Henri Coanda presented the world's first plane powered by a jet engine. In 1911, Aurel Vlaicu built the first airplaine with metallic elements in its structure and a two-seat cockpit. Moreover, the Romanians had notable achievments in the domain of hydroplanes and helicopters.

The Romanian airports were built between 1921 and 1972 and were rehabilitated between 1962 and 1980. At this time, other projects aiming the modernisation of airports are carried on.

17 civil airports make the airports network for public air transport; all of them are operated for domestic and international air traffic. This network covers all of the Romanian territory, with some exceptions as is Brasov area.

The international airports Henri Coanda - Bucharest, Baneasa Bucharest - Aurel Vlaicu, Timisoara - Traian Vuia and Mihail Kogalniceanu - Constanta are owned by ministry of Transport, Construction and tourism. The 12 airports are owned by county councils and one is private.

The passenger traffic of Henri Coanda airport, having in view the passengers traffic on all Romanian airports, is represent 70% and it is estimated to be maintained at the actual rate. The number of Henri Coanda passengers will be near 7 million passengers in 2010.

The capacity of airport infrastructure is sufficient relating the actual passengers traffic. In some cases (Henri Coanda - Bucharest, Timisoara - Traian Vuia, Cluj) there are in work some projects for extended the mauvering area for aircraft or for the passenger's facilities, having in view the estimated traffic values.

Some of the airports infrastructure is good (Henri Coanda - Bucharest, Timisoara - Traian Vuia, Arad), on the other airports it is necessary the capital work at the mauvering area and the equipments modernization.

The main project in the development and modernization of airport infrastructure is in work at Henri Coanda - Bucharest International Airport. At the end of second extended phase, the airport will have a 6 million passengers capacity, in 2008.

    MULTIMODAL TRANSPORT

Multimodal transport infrastructure consists of:78 terminals, out of which: road-railways terminals:39; road-railways terminals on temporary placement:25; border transhipment terminals:2; industrial terminals:9; domestic transhipment terminals for narrow line:3.

For more information: http://www.mt.ro

Statistical data regarding Romanian transports