The rehabilitation and modernisation of the European railway corridors IV and IX of Romania will entail expenses worth at least 10bn euros, according to the estimates made by CFR Infrastructura, a figure 50 times higher than last year's investment budget. However, with a system capable of managing train routes in real time, trains can travel at speeds of 120 km/hour today.

The advanced technology that forms part of the rehabilitation of the rail network is often more important than its physical rehabilitation. For instance, a system that is capable of increasing the number of trains or subway trains brings the benefit of a rising traffic on the same network, reads the April 24 edition of Business Construct monthly. The value of this type of services can reach as much as 10% of the total value of a new railway infrastructure project or a strong rehabilitation plan. Resulting benefits can exceed the value of these services over the long term.

Investments by CFR Infrastructura will be directed towards the implementation of new high-speed rail tracks. Rail tracks must become "intelligent". They need to be able to "read" at any moment where trains are, send information to a local or regional centre, as well as other things besides. Given the physical development stage of the Romanian railway, the domestic market has high medium and long-term potential.

The financial projections of Thales Rail Signalling Solutions (RSS) Romania are directly related to market dynamics, governed by demand from the infrastructure operator. Thus, the company plans to triple turnover to 30m euros by 2010. In 2006 and 2007, Thales RSS derived annual turnover worth some 10m euros and starting this year expects to register solid growth in the wake of projects related to the rehabilitation of the railway infrastructure, which will be tendered by CFR.

The Romanian railway