The state-run company “Calea Ferata a Moldovei” (“Moldova’s Railways”) is to start a major overhaul of its diesel trains and locomotives. An order to this effect was made by Minister of Transport and Road Infrastructure Vasile Botnari, who called a meeting with the administration of the company on May 5, following a new fire on a train running on the Chisinau-Ocnita route, IPN reports.

Vasile Botnari instructed carrying out a broad investigation to find out the causes of fire on diesel trains running on internal routes so as to prevent the repeat of similar incidents. He also asked hastening the procedures for certifying the five modernized trains so as to put them into circulation as swiftly as possible.

According to the company’s director general Vladimir Cebotari, Moldova’s Railways now operates 125 trains, 66 of which are main-line ones. The newest locomotives are over 30 years old. Ten diesel trains run on internal routes. The newest of these were purchased in 1986.

Vladimir Cebotari informed about the stages of the plan for modernizing the rolling stock, implemented with the financial support of the EBRD, which offered a loan of €52.5 million. The Ministry of Transport will purchase 11 main-line trains with this money. 

Moldova’s Railways is to present a broad report on the results of the technical examination and solutions for improving the situation in ten days.