Representatives of the state-owned company “Moldova’s Railways” (CFM) said the situation at the enterprise has been intensely discussed in the recent past. But the created situation does not date from today or tomorrow. “The situation at CFM had worsened continuously starting with 2009. All the taken actions and sometimes the inaction when immediate action was needed led to the appearance of real preconditions for the enterprise’s bankruptcy in 2019 already,” the enterprise’s first vice director for strategic planning Vitalie Mucan stated in a news conference at IPN.
The situation at the CFM was brought into focus both in Parliament and in society. “It was noted justly that the situation is not good. Regrettably, two very important things were omitted, namely how this situation was reached, including the developments of the last ten years, and the steps taken by the current administration of the CFM to remedy the situation and to give a new impetus to the enterprise,” said Vitalie Mucan.
According to him, after the current administration took over, they started to implement a broad program to reorganize and modernize the enterprise. Even if the CFM has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the program began to produce results.
“This way, starting with 2020, with the support of the development partners, 12 new locomotives were bought, making it the first purchase in the last three decades. Without these locomotives, the CFM simply didn’t have a future. The infrastructure on the Bender - Basarabeasca - Etulia – Giurgiulești section, on a distance of about 233 km, is now being rehabilitated. The value of the project is €55 million. The project goes on and is now at its second tendering stage,” noted Vitalie Mucan.
They are also implementing a project to purchase automated equipment and rehabilitate infrastructure on the Chisinau – Ungheni railway section, which is financed by the Government of France. “I want to remind that now the CFM is consistently implementing a development program planned until 2031. The program includes such stages as the institutional restructuring of the enterprise, the necessary investments, financial and traffic forecasts and financial resources,” stated the enterprise’s first vice director for strategic planning.
“I say all these things in order to highlight the titanic efforts made not only to save Moldova’s Railways, but to also modernize and develop it continuously. The current administration very well realizes how and what it should do. We are following the path to develop the railway transport in the Republic of Moldova and we will definitely succeed.”
The news conference also involved Vadim Shargarovschi, the CFM’s vice director general in charge of economic activity.
