Romania Orders 128 EMUs but Bulgaria May Reach 45 by 2027

BUCHAREST and SOFIA – Romania has contracted 128 new electric multiple units (EMUs) against Bulgaria’s 60, yet the operational race may reverse on delivery performance. Romanian Alstom Coradia Stream trains entered passenger service in November 2024 on the Bucharest North–Brașov route, but most of the roughly 20 PESA units delivered in 2025 have not yet carried passengers, while Bulgarian Škoda units are already undergoing network testing.

What Does This Contract Cover?

Romania’s Railway Reform Authority (ARF) has awarded contracts covering 128 EMUs: 37 Alstom Coradia Stream six-car inter-regional trains and 91 PESA Bydgoszcz units, split between 62 regional and 29 inter-regional trains.

The PESA regional framework is structured in three batches of 20, 23 and 19 trains, with the inter-regional tranche starting at 20 units and later extended by nine. The agreement includes 15 years of maintenance. Bulgaria’s programme, by comparison, covers 60 EMUs: 25 Škoda RegioPanter four-car trains (300-plus seats, 160 km/h, ETCS Level 2) and 35 Alstom Coradia Stream units also under a 15-year maintenance agreement. The first 12 Bulgarian Alstom units must be delivered within the Recovery and Resilience Plan funding window, with the full fleet scheduled by 2027.

Key Contract Data

How Does This Compare to Similar Contracts?

Romania’s 128-unit order is the largest active EMU procurement in Central and Eastern Europe, exceeding Poland’s Koleje Mazowieckie programme, which is taking 75 four-car FLIRT trains from Stadler with the first units delivered in 2025. (Source: Railway News, 2025)

Western European fleet renewal shows the same gap between contract signing and operational readiness. The UK Department for Transport transitioned Cross City services from the Class 323 to the modern Class 730 EMU and completed an Etches Park depot extension in November 2024 to accommodate Hitachi’s new Aurora bi-mode inter-city fleet. (Source: DfT Annual Report and Accounts 2024–2025, 2025)

Alstom’s five-year Metrolinx operation and maintenance extension, valued at approximately EUR 800 million and running to 2031, illustrates the manufacturer revenue model that Romania’s PESA agreement was also structured to generate — and which is now at risk if Romanian acceptance disputes persist. (Source: Railway Pro, 2025)

Romania’s wider rail modernisation is advancing in parallel: a Siemens-led consortium has been awarded three major signalling contracts, evidence that infrastructure investment is being coordinated with the new rolling stock entering the network. (Source: Railway Pro, 2025)

Editor’s Analysis

Romania’s paper advantage of 128 EMUs versus Bulgaria’s 60 is being eroded by an acceptance bottleneck: 20 PESA trains delivered, 13 accepted and only 11 service-ready means committed capital is sitting idle while ageing rolling stock continues to operate revenue services. Bulgaria’s later start, concentrated delivery schedule and reuse of Romania’s six-car Coradia Stream configuration give Sofia a faster route to certification — an unofficial BDZ scenario projecting 45 new units in service by August 2027 would put Bulgaria ahead of Romania in operational fleet terms despite ordering half as many trains. The interdependence created by Alstom’s single platform serving both countries suggests that future tenders in Southeast Europe will increasingly favour manufacturers able to standardise configurations across borders, with maintenance and through-life support as deciding factors.

FAQ

Q: How many of Romania’s 91 PESA trains are actually in passenger service?
A: As of the transport minister’s recent statement, 13 of roughly 20 delivered units have been accepted and 11 could be prepared for service — six with CFR Călători and five with private operators. The remainder are held up by unresolved handover and maintenance agreements.

Q: When will Bulgaria receive its first Alstom and Škoda trains?
A: Škoda’s first RegioPanter arrived for testing about 14 months after the contract was signed. The first 12 Alstom Coradia Stream units are due within the Recovery and Resilience Plan funding deadline, with the full 60-unit order scheduled for delivery by 2027.

Q: Could Bulgaria really have more new trains in service than Romania despite smaller orders?
A: Yes, under the unofficial scenario analysed by Bulgarian railway enthusiasts, which estimates BDZ could operate 45 new Škoda and Alstom units by August 2027. That projection depends on current testing, authorisation and maintenance schedules proceeding without the delays seen in Romania.