​The Ministry of Transport has established the estimated cost of work on the doubling and electrification of the Constanta-Mangalia line. This is 267.56 million euros. Once the project has been accepted by the Government, CNCF CFR SA can start a tender for the design and implementation, writes Club Feroviar. The distance between the two cities is 43 km, and many trains travel in 80-90 minutes.

The draft decision of the Government on the approval of the technical and economic indicators of the investment objective “Electrification and reconstruction of the Constanta-Mangalia railway line”, communal works of national importance, was posted on the website of the Ministry of Transport on Tuesday, during public consultations.

Investment term: 24 months.

The 42.9 km Constanta-Mangalia railway line has six stations: Constanta – Agia Ekluza (double and electrified line – 9.6 km), Agia Ekluza – Mangalia (non-electrified single track line – 33.3 km) CF: Constanta , Agigea Nord, Eforie Nord, Eforie Sud, Costineşti, Mangalia, two traffic stops: Agigea Ecluză Hm and Neptun Hm and four stops: Tuzla h, Pescăruș h, Costineşti Tabără hc, Neptun hc

• The history of trips to seaside resorts – from the railway built by the Ottomans to modern trains with a speed of 160 km/h.

The maximum speed is 80 km/h for passenger trains and 60 km/h for freight trains. The train towing mode is diesel-electric traction. Trains run on the basis of an automatic block, only between Constanta and Eforie-Nord, and between Eforie-Nord and Mangalia – on a free track.

The planned works are aimed at:

• electrification, doubling and rehabilitation of the line – by electrifying the Agija-Ekluza-Mangalia line in addition to the Constanta-Agija-Ekluza section, it will be possible to drive electric traction on the Constanta-Mangalia distance, thus eliminating diesel-electric traction;

• increasing the level of safety by restoring the cf line, works of art, carrying out the necessary fortification works and thus eliminating speed restrictions;

• reduction of travel time by increasing the maximum permitted speed on the route on the Constanta-Mangalia distance and eliminating the need to replace locomotives at the Constanta station;

• 30-minute movement of passenger trains on the Constanta-Mangalia distance;

• increasing the comfort level of passenger transportation by modernizing platforms, passenger buildings, as well as other facilities offered at stations/stops in accordance with STI norms;

• the central operating station of CEL Eforie Nord – Mangalia, located in the CMT Constanţa building + the necessary ERTMS level 2 equipment for the Constanţa-Mangalia line.

In addition, the line will be doubled between Kostinesti and Mangalia.

The trains will run on a double electrified line for 26.4 km (Konstanza axis – Agija-Ekluza axis 9.6 km + Kostinesti axis – Mangalia axis 16.8 km) and a single electrified line for 16.5 km (Hm axis – Agija lock – Kostinesht axis). The line will be equipped with electronic centralization of the line (CEL) and ERTMS level 2. The facility of electronic centralization of the line CEL will be controlled from the central station, which will be located in the building of CMT Constanța.

The project includes: 23 new bridges, one crossing, four bridges, four underpasses, one pedestrian crossing, one CFR/Enel traction substation.

The total value of investments (including VAT) is 1.66 billion lei, of which construction and assembly works (including VAT) are 1.33 billion lei.

The total cost of the investment also includes the expropriation and transfer of communications, so the actual cost of the investment is the cost of construction and installation works, which is equivalent to 267.56 million euros.