The ten leading companies operating in the field of carriage production and repair, belonging to some important domestic businesspeople such as Cristian Burci, Valer Blidar and Gruia Stoica last year generated cumulated turnover worth 554m euros, up 18% year-on-year.

Burci controls four of the biggest companies in the sector, namely Astra Vagoane Arad, Meva Turnu Severin, Romvag Caracal and SMR Bals, mainly focused on freight carriage repair works, through which he derived 312.8m-euro turnover last year, up 20% from 2007.

However, the biggest profit was made by Valer Blidar, owner of Astra Vagoane Calatori Arad, 26.3m euros amid 65.6m-euro turnover, also securing a 40% profit margin. Blidar and Astra Vagoane Calatori invested almost 10m euros in Banca Comerciala Feroviara.

Remar Pascani, controlled by Gruia Stoica, and Astra Vagoane Calatori, belonging to Blidar, were the main winners in the tenders organised by CFR Calatori, with the two companies contracting works of above 400m euros in the field of rolling stock from the state-owned company in the past two years alone.

Valer Blidar this year founded Banca Comerciala Feroviara, Romania's third biggest privately-held bank, holding together with Astra Vagoane Calatori around 90% in the capital, while the rest of 10% belongs to another major player on the rolling stock market, which last year posted turnover worth 46.5m euros.

CFR Calatori in 2008 and 2009 awarded contracts worth above 700m euros for carriage acquisition and modernisation over a three to four year period, benefiting most leading companies on the market. The state effectively propped the entire sector and ensured the growth of these companies during a period that brought significant declines for most economy branches.

Gruia Stoica, who owns Grupul Feroviar Roman, with 100m-euro turnover last year, through this firm co