Romanian trains will also run at an average speed of 45 km/h in 2023, even if in small sections they will be faster than this year. Intercity trains are back, although we don’t have very good lines, and in the article you can read about trips between different cities in the country. How long the journey takes, how much it costs, how many trains and much more.

Brief information

• The new schedule of trains comes into force on December 11, 2022 and is valid until December 9, 2023.

• And in 2023, the average speed of trains going from one part of the country to another will be below 55 km/h. From Bucharest, the road to Satu Mare takes 15 hours, and to Oradea – 12 and a half hours. Trains that stop at all stations have an average speed of 35-40 km/h.

• After eight years, InterCity trains are returning, with tickets costing an average of 15% more than InterRegio. The slowest IC has an average speed of less than 60 km/h between Bucharest and Cluj. The fastest has an average speed of 87 km/h between Brasov and Constanta.

• The most expensive train tickets in the country cost almost 400 lei for such trips as Bucharest – Arad or Timisoara – Iasi, in a single cabin, in a sleeping car.

• The longest year-round route is IR 1763 Iasi-Timişoara, and its counterpart IR 1765 is 849 km, almost 17 hours. At the opposite pole, the shortest distance with many trains running and stopping per day is Bucharest Basarab – Basarab stop, the journey is less than 1 km.

• The longest distance between two stations in the CFR network: Cogealac – Târgușor Dobrogrea, 20 km, 19 minutes, on line 804 Medgidia – Tulcea.

• Between Cimmeria and Sighisoara, the travel time decreases and there are also sections with a speed of 150 km/h. Trains between Arad and Deva will be faster, but there is still a lot of work to be done to reach an average speed of more than 90 km/h.

• The longest distance covered by a non-stop train in 2022-23: 229 km, Brasov – Tejus, 4 hours and 10 minutes. This makes the IC train at an average speed of 55 km/h. There are many construction sites between Brasov and Sighisoara, and a 150 km/h zone between Sighisoara and Blaze.

Bucharest – Brasov

There are more than 25 trains in each direction from five companies, more than half from CFR Călători. The fastest is the IC, which takes 2 hours 14 minutes, stopping only at Ploiesti Vest. The slowest is Regio from CFR Călători, which takes 4 hours 12 minutes for 166 km. Tickets cost from 27 lei in Regio to 61 lei in IC.

Bucharest – Ploiesti time increases by a few minutes. The big difference is that the trains of the private company Regio Călători are upgraded, become RE, and seat reservations become mandatory, so tickets will be several lei more expensive. In addition, the trains of this company will have significantly fewer stops, so they will travel from Bucharest to Brasov in two hours and 40 minutes. The disadvantage is that there will be far fewer trains for passengers from stations such as Florești – Prahova, Breaza, Poiana Țapului or Dârste.

Bucharest – Constanta

More than 15 trains will run in each direction, including two InterCity trains, covering 226 km in two hours. The slowest is the Regio train, which takes almost five hours because it has long stops. The average time is up by a few minutes compared to previous years, but there will be many trains that take less than two and a half hours for the 226 km. In IC, the rate is 74 lei, in IR – 65 lei, in R – 32 lei.

Bucharest – Timisoara

There will be five trains per day each way, most of which will run more than 10 hours, on Highway 100, which is in dire need of work, and fortunately, contracts have also been signed for future upgrades. For the 2nd class, the ticket costs 109 lei, and for a single sleeping car – 354 lei in trains that have this option.

Sibiu is very poorly connected to the rest of the country

There will be only three one-way trains between Bucharest and Sibiu, the fastest of which will take 5 hours and 14 minutes on the 315 km journey. Prices start from 78 lei. There is also an IR train which takes more than six hours. There are six trains a day between Sibiu and Brasov. There are two direct trains a day from Sibiu to Cluj, 198 km, 4 hours and a few minutes.

Anyone who wants to get from Sibiu to Iași will at best spend 13 hours changing in Bucharest. You can get from Iasi to Sibiu in 11 hours 45 minutes with a transfer in Brasov. From Sibiu to Arad there are two trains each way, 5 hours for 284 km.

There are three trains a day between Sibiu and Craiova, running from 4 hours 59 minutes to 6 hours 51 minutes. All are Regio, and the ticket costs 36 lei.

Brasov – Constanta

Five trains a day, from 4 and a half hours (IC Tomis Expres) to 7 hours 8 minutes (Regio Călători private train, which stops for more than half an hour at the North Station. From June to early September there are also several seasonal daily The ticket costs 60 lei for RE and 100 lei for IC. The distance is 392 km.

Timisoara – Iasi

There will be two direct trains, one will take 15 hours 13 minutes on the 789 km route, via Oradea – Suceava, but the return journey will take 16 hours 13 minutes. A 2nd class ticket costs 130 lei. Direct train IR 1763 Iasi – Timisoara takes 17 hours for 849 km via Vatra Dornei – Cluj – Deva. The average speed is 50 km/h. In a bunk cabin with four beds, a place costs 201 lei, and in a single cabin you can buy one of the most expensive CFR Călători tickets: 390 lei.

Also, the shortest distance you can buy a ticket on the CFR network is less than 1 km, between Bucharest Basarab and Bucharest Basarab stop, 2-3 minutes drive, price 4 lei. 11 trains stop at both stations en route to Rosiori, Tirgovishte or Brasov.

Bucharest – Cluj

There will be four trains in each direction, the fastest being the IC, which will take 8 and a half hours for 497 km at an average speed of less than 60 km/h via Brasov and Sighisoara. In IR, the ticket costs 98 lei, and in IC 113 lei. IR 1742 makes almost 10 hours, with an average speed of 51 km/h.

There is also train IR 1835, via Craiova – Petrosani – Alba Iulia, on a longer route, 621 km, almost 13 hours, average speed 48 km/h. The ticket for this train costs 120 lei.

Bucharest – Arad

Eight trains will run in each direction on several routes. The fastest is 10 hours 13 minutes for 599 km, via Brasov – Sibiu, and the slowest is IR, via Craiova – Petrosani, almost 12 hours for 609 km. The ticket costs 109 lei in IR and 137 lei in IC. The most convenient is the Astra TC train, which departs from Bucharest in the evening and takes 11 hours and 13 minutes. The ticket costs 121 lei for 2nd class, and for a bunk with four beds, the ticket costs 166 lei. The ticket costs 380 lei in a luxurious single sleeping car. Five of the eight trains from Arad to Bucharest take 11 hours, with the fastest train being Dacia (Vienna – Bucharest) which takes 10 hours 23 minutes.

Bucharest – Suceava

There are five direct trains per day, covering a distance of 447 km from 5 hours 39 minutes to 6 hours 10 minutes. In IC, the price is 113 lei, and in IR 98 lei.

Brasov – Iasi

There are three trains a day in one direction, the time varies from 7 hours 28 minutes to 8 hours 46 minutes. The fastest CFR Călători train via Mercuria-Cuc (470 km), ticket costs 98 lei (InterRegio train). Regio Călători trains go via Ploiesti – Buzău, 456 km, 61 lei.

Bucharest – Oradea

The 649 km journey takes 12 and a half hours. The ticket costs 120 lei for 2nd class and 43 lei more for a bunk bed with six beds. In a single bedroom cabin, the price is 368 lei.

Bucharest – Iasi

On 406 km, six trains will run in both directions with a time from 5 hours 58 minutes to 6 hours 51 minutes. Interestingly, for Bucharest – Iasi, the IC train is not the fastest, but IR 1661, the only one that takes less than 6 hours. The difference is that IR 1661 passes through Tecuci – Bârlad and the IC stops for 13 minutes at Pascani, where part of the carriages will continue on the M500 towards Suceava and a group of carriages will proceed on the M606 towards Iasi. In IC, the price is 113 lei, and in IR 98 lei.

Satu Mare – Timisoara

The 311 km long journey takes almost 5 hours and 40 minutes. There is one train per day and the price is 78 lei.

Timisoara – Oradea

There are seven trains each way, with travel times ranging from 3 hours 22 minutes to 4 hours 35 minutes. For 178 km, the price in IR is 53 lei, and in R 26 lei.

Brasov – Baia Mare

There are two direct trains per day, on different routes. The fastest way takes 9 hours and one minute for 458 km (via Merkurya-Chuk – Toplitsa), and the cheapest – 99 lei. There is also an RE train from Baia Mare to Brasov which takes 11 hours and 10 minutes for 524 km (via Cluj – Sighisoara). The ticket costs 95 lei.

Bucharest – Satu Mare

There is one direct train per day, and the 782 km journey takes 14.5 to 15 hours. The price is 130 lei for cl 2, and the price is 173 lei for a six-seater bunk bed. In a sleeping car with two seats in the cabin, the ticket costs 284 lei. A one-time ticket costs 380 lei.

Cluj – Suceava

There will be four trains in each direction, and the trip will last from 6 hours to 38 minutes and 7 hours for 322 km. The ticket costs 78 lei.

Bucharest – Galati

There will be six direct trains daily, covering 259 km with a duration of 3 hours 33 minutes and 3 hours 58 minutes. The RE ticket costs 46 lei, the IR ticket costs 72 lei.

Cluj – Oradea

On average, there is one train per hour, but there are longer intervals without trains. The fastest trains take 2 hours 30 minutes, the slowest – almost 4 hours for 152 km. The IR ticket costs 48 lei, and the R ticket costs 22 lei.

Bucharest – H Coandă Airport T1

The line to the airport is first included in the print edition of Mersulu Trenurilor under the name 700 T1. Trains run every 40 minutes, 19 km are covered from 21 to 25 minutes, and the ticket costs 5 lei. After an uncertain start, the line to the airport is used by a large number of passengers.

Oradea – Galati

There is no direct train, and the fastest journey is 16 hours 2 minutes, with three transfers (to Cluj, to Suceava, to Buzeu). The ticket would cost 200 lei, the distance 924 km. The fastest route from Galati to Oradea is 15 hours 58 minutes with two transfers. The ticket costs 185 lei.

Sighisoara – Cimmeria

This section is worth mentioning because, after many years of work, it is finally moving at a speed of 150 km/h in sections. 169 km are covered in one hour and 57 minutes. In 2019, the fastest train traveled for two hours and 46 minutes, and last year it took two hours and 15 minutes.

Areas with large construction sites and low speeds

There will be eight trains each way between Brasov and Sighisoara, and the 128-kilometer journey will take between 3 hours and 4 minutes and 4 hours and 8 minutes. The “fastest” train has an average speed of 41 km/h, the slowest – 32 km/h. The IC train will have an average speed of 42 km/h.

The distance between Deva and Arad is 149 km, and the fastest train takes 2 hours 20 minutes and the slowest takes 4 hours 24 minutes, as it has several long stops in places where work is carried out. There are 11 trains in each direction, the fastest will travel at a speed of more than 120 km/h in the Radna area and 150 km/h near Arad. In the rest, there are many sections with a speed of 40-50 km/h, especially in the area of ​​Gurasada and Savarsin.