A modern corridor that suddenly feels slow<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Pro Infrastructur\u0103 says the problem is easy to spot near the Radna station, where its example shows a new Alstom Coradia running around 20 to 30 km\/h (12 to 18 mph) in an area that could normally support 140 to 160. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also Read: A 50-year-old rule is forcing new trains to crawl at 40 km\/h on billion-euro railways, while old locomotives fly past them<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nIt says similar \u201cout of nowhere\u201d slowdowns have been identified at Radna and Media\u0219, with more locations expected across the network. That is where the 1975 rule kicks in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This matters for the business case behind modernization. The group warns the issue can affect most new or upgraded fleets Romania is counting on, including 55 locomotives modernized through the PNRR program, 37 Alstom Coradia trainsets, more than 80 PESA trainsets, and 16 Alstom Traxx locomotives. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It also says the slowdowns mean time lost and higher energy consumption, on top of a confusing experience for riders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How a 1975 workaround trips up 1990s-era safety tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The technical story starts with trackside inductors, described as yellow devices placed near certain speed restriction points, that force drivers to press a special \u201cDep\u0103\u0219ire Ordonat\u0103\u201d button, abbreviated BDO. Pro Infrastructur\u0103 says Romania introduced this setup in 1975, and it was meant for exceptional situations rather than routine speed changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After railway accidents in the 1990s, the group says Germany\u2019s PZB train protection standard tied a strict cap to that \u201cordered passing\u201d mode, limiting trains using it to a maximum of 25 mph for safety. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Modern rolling stock typically carries PZB-90, so if the driver does not slow, the system can trigger emergency braking, while older locomotives using INDUSI-60 do not get boxed in the same way at these points. Safety is the goal, but the interaction is forced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ETCS is designed to enforce real limits without blanket slowdowns<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Europe\u2019s long-term fix is a different kind of signaling. The European Commission describes the European Train Control System<\/a>, part of ERTMS, as an in-cab standard that supervises train movement based on the maximum permitted speed for each section of line, using data from trackside equipment such as Eurobalises or via radio. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAlso Read: Nvidia\u2019s Israel megaproject is forcing roads, a train station, and even an airstrip, and the power demand could rival a small city<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nThink of it as speed supervision built into the cab, not a one-size-fits-all slow mode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pro Infrastructur\u0103 argues ETCS can replace the blunt \u201cBDO equals 40\u201d behavior because it can apply the correct limit and intervene only when a driver fails to respect it. The group notes ETCS has been deployed on European corridors<\/a>, yet says Romania\u2019s rollout is moving extremely slowly and could take another five to ten years at the current pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/okdiario.com\/techy\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/romania-alstom-coradia-train-slowdown-railway-pzb-signaling-1.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
Modern rolling stock operating on upgraded Romanian tracks is experiencing extreme slowdowns due to conflicts between historic 1975 track-side rules and contemporary digital safety sensors.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe climate and security stakes hiding behind a speedometer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Rail is central to Europe\u2019s climate plans for a reason. The European Union Agency for Railways estimates transport produces about 25% of total EU greenhouse gas emissions, while rail\u2019s direct emissions fell by about 70% from 1990 to 2021 and represented about 0.4% of transport emissions in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, the wider trend is stubborn. The European Environment Agency reports that transport emissions<\/a> have only declined slightly since 2005 and its preliminary estimate for 2024 shows a 0.7% increase compared with 2023. If trains become slower and less predictable, more people may fall back on cars, traffic jams, and the exhaust fumes we inhale on a hot afternoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAlso Read: Japan tests a solar system that gets more power from the same light, and the 130% lab result could break a photovoltaic limit<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Also Read: Nvidia\u2019s Israel megaproject is forcing roads, a train station, and even an airstrip, and the power demand could rival a small city<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nThink of it as speed supervision built into the cab, not a one-size-fits-all slow mode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pro Infrastructur\u0103 argues ETCS can replace the blunt \u201cBDO equals 40\u201d behavior because it can apply the correct limit and intervene only when a driver fails to respect it. The group notes ETCS has been deployed on European corridors<\/a>, yet says Romania\u2019s rollout is moving extremely slowly and could take another five to ten years at the current pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\nModern rolling stock operating on upgraded Romanian tracks is experiencing extreme slowdowns due to conflicts between historic 1975 track-side rules and contemporary digital safety sensors.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe climate and security stakes hiding behind a speedometer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Rail is central to Europe\u2019s climate plans for a reason. The European Union Agency for Railways estimates transport produces about 25% of total EU greenhouse gas emissions, while rail\u2019s direct emissions fell by about 70% from 1990 to 2021 and represented about 0.4% of transport emissions in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, the wider trend is stubborn. The European Environment Agency reports that transport emissions<\/a> have only declined slightly since 2005 and its preliminary estimate for 2024 shows a 0.7% increase compared with 2023. If trains become slower and less predictable, more people may fall back on cars, traffic jams, and the exhaust fumes we inhale on a hot afternoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAlso Read: Japan tests a solar system that gets more power from the same light, and the 130% lab result could break a photovoltaic limit<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
The climate and security stakes hiding behind a speedometer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Rail is central to Europe\u2019s climate plans for a reason. The European Union Agency for Railways estimates transport produces about 25% of total EU greenhouse gas emissions, while rail\u2019s direct emissions fell by about 70% from 1990 to 2021 and represented about 0.4% of transport emissions in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, the wider trend is stubborn. The European Environment Agency reports that transport emissions<\/a> have only declined slightly since 2005 and its preliminary estimate for 2024 shows a 0.7% increase compared with 2023. If trains become slower and less predictable, more people may fall back on cars, traffic jams, and the exhaust fumes we inhale on a hot afternoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\nAlso Read: Japan tests a solar system that gets more power from the same light, and the 130% lab result could break a photovoltaic limit<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n