Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Turnock Socialist Construction
Turnock Socialist Construction
(Târgu Jiu-Rovinari in 1964 and Strehaia- 60 revealed the potential immediately above ni-Calnic (1987); and Calnic-Seciuri (1989).
Motru in 1966) and in Bihor (Marghita- Turnu Severin (Iron Gates I) and anoth- There was also a short extension in the Jiu
Voivozi in 1957); short branches to facto- er further downstream (Iron Gates II) that valley (mainly a shaft mining area) from
ries (mainly Galaţi-Smârdan in 1966, for a did not have any implications for the rail- Lupeni to Bărbăteni in 1986. Most of these
huge metallurgical project) and the direct way network. After studies identifying the lines did not require substantial engineer-
line of 42kms between Iţcani (Suceava) site (1957-60) and compiling detailed plans ing work, but access to Alunu and Seciu-
and Păltinoasa (1964) to replace the earli- (1960-3), construction of a new single-track ri across of succession of valleys and ridg-
er route of the same length through Cac- railway at a higher level through Iron Gates es required considerable tunnelling: four
33
Romania’s Railway Development 1950-1989:
Changing Priorities for Socialist Construction
Figure 1 Network development, highlighting new construction since 1950 and outstanding projects
LIST OF NEW LINES Shown by serial numbers 1, 2, 3 etc.
1950: 1.@Calafat-Vidin 2kms; 1951: 2.Piatra Neamţ-Bicaz 26kms; 3.Dorobanţu-Lumina-Capul Midia 34kms; 4. Palas-Lumina 19kms; 1954: 5.Giurgiu-Pod.
Dunăre 5kms; 1957: 6.=Marghita-Voivozi 15kms[]; 1962: 7. Strehaia-Motru 31kms; 1963: 8.Deva-Stoeneşti 14kms; 9.Brad-Dealul Fetii 7kms; 1964: 10.Suceava-
Păltinoasa 42kms; 11. Târgu Jiu-Rovinari 15kms; 1966: 12.Barboşi-Smârdan 8kms; 1967: 13.Rovinari-Turceni-Filiaşi 62kms; 1968: 14.*Gura Văii-Orşova 23kms; 1971:
15.=Amaradia-Bârseşti 10kms[]; 1977: 16.=Câmpulung-Argeşel 14kms; 1978: 17.Turceni-Dragoteşti 28kms; 1979 18.+Semănătoarea-Eroilor-Tîmpuri Noi 9kms;
1981: 19.*Cozia-Lotru 8kms; 20.+Tîmpuri Noi-Dristor-Republica 10kms; 1983: 21.Târgu Cărbuneşti-Albeni 9kms; 22 +Eroilor-Industriilor 7kms; 1984: 23. #Alba
Iulia-Zlatna 42kms; 24.+Semănătoarea-Crângaşi 1km; 1985: 25.=#Voslobeni-Chileni 15kms; 1986: 26.Băbeni-Alunu 44kms; 27. Dorneşti-Siret 16kms; 28.+Lupeni-
Bărbăteni 5kms[]; 29. +IMGB-Piaţa Uniri 10kms; 1987: 30.Dealul Fetii-Stoeneşti 15kms; 31.Paşcani-Târgu Neamţ 31kms; 32.Albeni-Calnic 5kms[]; 33.#Satu
Mare-Bixad 51kms; 34.+Crangasi-Gara de Nord 2kms; 35.+Piata Unirii-Pipera 9kms; 1989: 36.Calnic-Seciuri 5kms[]; 37.+Gara de Nord-Dristor 8kms; By 1990:
38.=Jihlava-Dărăşti-Ilfov 8kms; 1991: 39.Dângeni-Săveni 16kms; 40+Republica-Antilopa 1km; 2000: 41.+Gara de Nord-I Mai 4kms<> @ train ferry; # narrow
gauge conversion; + Bucharest metro; = freight only; * diversion; [] estimate; <> extension to Laromet expected
NEW/EXTENDED FORESTRY SYSTEMS Shown by Roman numbers I, II, III etc.
I Ocna Şugatag; II Vişeu de Sus; III Teregova; IV; Tismana [a] V Vâlcea [b] VI Câmpu Cetăţii; VII Întorsura Buzăului [c] VIII Vrancea; IX Oneşti-Râsca; X Roznov [d];
X1 Bistriţa and Pipirig [d]; XII Fălticeni [e]; XIII Moldoviţa
[a] partly replacing the Apa Neagră-Turnu Severin narrow gauge railway; [b] Bistriţa, Lotru and other systems: see case study; [c] developed from the CFR
narrow gauge line transferred to forestry ownership in 1951; [d] built by the Soviet-Romanian joint timber company Sovromlemn; [e] incorporating the
isolated Găineşti system
OUTSDTANDING PROJECTS shown by letters a, b, c etc.
a.Bixad-Sarasău (i); b.Gilgău-Târgu Lăpuş-Baia Sprie (iii); c.Stana-Zalău (iii); d.Vaşcău-Vârfurile (i/ii); e.Turda-Abrud (ii); f.#Abrud-Zlatna (ii); g.Sighişoara-Târgu
Mureş (ii); h.Odorhei-Ciceu (ii); i.*Bouţari-Sarmizegetusa (ii); j.Răcăjdia-Moldova Nouă (ii); k.Băile Herculane-Balota (ii); l.Stehaia-Ostrovu Mare (Iron Gates II)
(ii); m.Alunu-Seciuri (ii); n.Popeşti-Horezu (ii); o.*Lotru-Avrig (ii); p.Leu-Bechet (ii); q.Portăreşti-Bechet-Corabia (ii); r.Vâlcele-Râmnicu Vâlcea (ii); s.Zărneşti-
Câmpulung (ii); t.Întorsura Buzăului-Nehoiaşu (i/ii); u.Brăila-Tulcea-Sulina (ii); v.Breţcu-Oneşti (i); w. Bacău-Bârlad (i); x.Iaşi-Huşi-Galaţi (i); y.Piatra Neamţ-Târgu
Neamt-Fălticeni-Suceava (i); z..Topliţa-Târgu Neamţ (i/ii); aa. Hârlau-Botoşani (i); bb. Săveni-Darabani (i) cc.+I Mai-Laromet (iii); dd.+Grigorescu-Linia de
Centura (iii); ee.+Universitatea-Ghencea (iii); ff.+Gara de Nord-Otopeni (iii)
Sources (i) Groza and Muntele (1998); (ii)Iordanescu and Georgescu (1986); (iii) Metrorex and others.
Geographica Pannonica 09/2005
– Groşi, Cerna, Copăceni and Berbeşti (to- Jiu and Râmnicu Vâlcea and - with the Vâl- and Craiova and it retained its importance
tal length 3.43kms) – were built during 1985- cele-Râmnicu Vâlcea route (referred to be- after the loss of northern Transylvania to
7 for the Alunu line, with three more - Do- low) - to shorten the distance between Bu- Hungary in 1940. Construction advanced
brana, Roşia and Seciuri (2.09kms) - during charest and Târgu Jiu to 288kms (instead of across the Mureş at Mintia where a bridge
1987-91 to reach Seciuri. The gap between 359 via Craiova) with 339kms instead of 410 of 301m was required, but the viaduct need-
the two lines (some 8kms) was not complet- for Petroşani. ed at Stoeneşti was not built and the line
ed although it was the original intention to The Brad-Deva line was started in 1939 was eventually opened for the transport of
make this a through route between Târgu as part of a strategic link between Oradea limestone from Crăciuneşti in 1963. At the
34
David
Turnock
Brad end, Luncoiu viduct (217m) was built pacity as well. Along with the repayment of Gara de Nord-Piaţa Victoriei-Dristor sec-
so the railway could access the Dealul Fetii foreign debts, this was part of big effort in tion was completed (Figure 1 inset). Several
mine, while the Hagău and Valea Arinilor the later Ceauşescu years to boost self-suf- new arms were also planned in the com-
viaducts were left incomplete. These out- ficiency with reduced dependence on for- munist era: Aurel Vlaicu-Băneasa-Oto-
standing works were ready in 1987, along eign capital and avoid interference by glo- peni; Nicolae Grigorescu-Linia de Centu-
with tunnelling at Vălişoara/Ormindea bal institutions in economic management. ra, Universitatea-Eroilor-Drumul Taberei
(0.29kms during 1979-82, on top of the two The railways were now carrying far fewer and Gara de Nord-Bucureşti Noi, but with
other others – 0.57kms – already built). But passengers than the buses: 91% of the total high speed tramways as a cheaper alterna-
apart from completing ‘unfinished busi- for buses in 1970 but 45% in 1975 and 33% in tive it seemed likely that only the first part
ness’ it is difficult to see what this project 1980. But there was a sharp increase to 55% of the Bucureşti Noi line would be built (to
achieved since traffic was always light and in 1985, a level maintained until 1989. In Laromet) along with the Grogorescu-Cen-
since 1989 even the modest passenger serv- passenger-kilometre terms the same trend tura line. The ‘centura’ had an influence
ice (which provided a token ‘accelerat’ serv- occurred: from 2.26 times the road trans- on the planning through the access pro-
ice through Brad to Arad) has disappeared. port score in 1970 to 1.18 in 1975 and 0.97 vided through the freight line into Mili-
It is possible that a link with Oradea (via in 1980, before recovering to 1.43 in 1985 tari (with which the Industriilor line con-
Vârfuri-Vaşcău) was intended to follow on and 1.54 in 1989. For freight the recovery nects), just as the other end of the east-west
and that the aberration of a ‘road to rail’ was even more striking. In terms of sim- axial line (at Republica) there was a con-
policy was also driving the project. In this ple tonnage the 0.80 figure for 1989 com- nection with CFR Titan (on an old subur-
context reference should be made to the pares with a low of 0.55 in 1975 while the ban line through the northeastern part of
Curtea de Argeş-Râmnicu Vâlcea line that tonne-kilometre figure of 13.96 times the the city broken up into separate fragments
was first considered in 1890s and further score for road haulage is more than dou- to eliminate level crossings on busy urban
endorsed by a series of inter-war railway ble the 6.42 score for 1970. On the nega- highways). Reference should be made to a
development plans by R.Băiulescu, tive side however, buses were hit badly by number of new industrial lines on the in-
A. Cottescu, N. Petculescu and M. Tu- fuel shortages and there were many can- side of the ‘centura’ e.g. in the Caţelu and
doran in which this project vied for prior- cellations, while enterprises and institutes Popeşti-Leordeni areas; also from Jihlava
ity with the Ilva Mică-Vatra Dornei line lost their car pools. But on the positive side to Dărăşti-Ilfov on the outside to connect
of 1938 and the Bumbeşti-Livezeni line of there was an expansion of the rail network with the Bucharest-Danube Canal, one of
1948. It was seen as the best solution to the by 364kms (3.1%) between 1970 and 1990, projects of the Ceauşescu Era on which
bottleneck at Predeal since the summit lev- compared with 159kms kilometres (1.0%) work stopped in 1990. Accurate dates are
el would be much lower and the distance between 1950 and 1970. not available for these industrial lines, al-
from Bucharest to most parts of Transyl- THE BUCHAREST METRO was first though the Dărăşti-Ilfov branch was fin-
vania and the northwest would be reduced. considered 1930 and again 1952 when a ished only very shortly before the 1989 rev-
On the other hand the costs would exceed Direcţia Generală a Metroului was estab- olution. Of course the ‘centura’ (or ‘inelul
incremental improvements to the Predeal lished, although it was thought that the mare’) became more heavily used with the
line through dieselisation, widening and subsoil conditions would require an ex- further industrialisation of Bucharest and
electrification. Studies were carried out in cessive amount of metal to support the the truncation of the Gara de Nord-Pro-
1931-2, 1942, 1948-9 and 1957 before a new tunnels. But decision to go ahead in 1972 gresul route. Surburban stations were built
study in 1975 favoured the route from Vâl- was based on the use of reinforced con- during 1962-72 to serve local industry (e.g.
cele (22kms northwest of Piteşti) to Bu- crete which had revolutionised building Berceni for IMGB and Popeşti-Leorde-
joreni offering a shorter distance from since the 1950s and construction started in ni for Danubiana) although travel times
Piteşti to Râmnicu Vâlcea compared with 1974 by Întreprinderea Metroul Bucureşti. to the city centre by trams and buses were
Curtea de Argeş (62kms compared with The growth of a ‘necklace’ of new estates slow. Also most of the ‘centura’ was wid-
73kms) but with 40kms of new construc- – like Drumul Taberei and Militari in the ened during 1970-4.
tion instead of 35kms. The chosen route west and Pantelimon and Titan in the east RAILWAY SERVICES TO SMALL
required two tunnels (4.20kms built dur- – created a need for much greater capaci- TOWNS improved first through conver-
ing 1987-90) and 10 viaducts as well as the ty for cross-city routes and the start coin- sion from narrow- to standard-gauge: Alba
Argeş and Olt bridges (3.25kms). Evidently cided with an opportunity to exploit the Iulia-Zlatna in 1984 and Satu Mare-Bixad
the Predeal route was now approaching ca- Dâmboviţa alignment since the rehabilita- in 1987 (although the conversion of the
pacity even with electrification and double tion of the canalised river was linked with Voslobeni-Chileni mineral line in 1985 had
track so that new capacity was needed. The a ‘cut-and-cover’ tunnel on a parallel line no such significance); while it was intend-
line was nearly finished when the revolu- that eventually (with some sections of bor- ed that the Băbeni-Alunu line would throw
tion occurred and a train service was actu- ing) became part of a winding path from off a branch from Popeşti to Horezu and an
ally included in the 1989-90 timetable. But Republica in the east to Industriilor in the extension to the Bistriţa quarry. But most
the line was not ready and work was in- west (1983); complemented by the north- progress was made in Moldavia there were
stantly terminated. However after years of south axis from Pipera to IMGB in 1987. several projects that can only be interpret-
neglect, the line has been found a place in Indeed it is not inconceivable that substan- ed as a programme to extend rail servic-
the new order as a potential freight carrier tial demolition work by the railway engi- es to more urban centres and improve ac-
allowing dedication of the Predeal to high- neering company CCCF contributed to cess to raw materials. A short line of 16kms
speed passenger running. But nothing has Ceauşescu’s appetite for massive remod- opened in 1986 to connect the small town
Geographica Pannonica 09/2005
yet been done to tackle more than a decade elling of central Bucharest in the 1980s. It of Siret with the main line at Dorneşti.
of decay and bring the project through to was intended that a circle line – ‘magistra- This was followed by the 31km branch from
completion. la inelară’ - would be completed from Gara Paşcani to Târgu Neamţ in 1987: a line pro-
A NEW RAILWAY AGE? During the de Nord to connect with the major sub- posed as early as 1891 and started on three
1980s an attempt was made to switch traffic urban housing developments and gener- previous occasions: 1900, 1914 and 1962
from the roads to the electrified railways, ate interchanges with the two axial line at (the latter following a new study started in
supported by lignite-burning power sta- Piaţa Victoriei, Dristor, Piaţa Sudului and 1961). Work recommenced in 1981 and was
tions and the early prospect of nuclear ca- Armata Poporulu, but only the Crângaşi- partly justified by the need to move ballast
35
Romania’s Railway Development 1950-1989:
Changing Priorities for Socialist Construction
from Timişeşti to the heavy equipment Aramă, Borsec, Horezu, Însuraţei, Novaci, journal ‘Revista CFR’ reminded its read-
works (CUG) at Iaşi and Holboca pow- Scorniceşti, Slănic Moldova, Târgu Lăpuş, ers in 2002 that the Hârlau-Botoşani and
er station. The main requirement was the Vlahiţa and Vânju Mare. Another 11 were Vâlcele-Râmnicu Vâlcea projects were
0.84km Cristeşti tunnel built during 1984- more than five kilometres from a pas- outstanding and restated the advantages
6. Previous studies had suggested an ex- senger-carrying railway: Bălan, Bolintin of completion (from the current 75% lev-
tension of the line beyond Târgu Neamţ Vale, Cavnic, Govora, Hârşova, Mihăileşti, el) over the alternative of delay and further
to Topliţa in Transylvania – once seen as Nucet, Olăneşti, Solca, Ţicleni and Vic- deterioration.
a pioneering electrified route linked with toria. An economic survey of Oltenia re- Evidence against this conclusion would
hydropower from the Bistriţa river - but ferred not only to small towns like Vânju come from some 70 cases of passenger serv-
this was effectively ruled out once the Ilva Mare as possible candidates for rail access, ice withdrawals indicated by timetables
Mică-Vatra Dornei line (1938) had pro- but also rural centres (potential towns in However these all relate to short sections
vided a strategic link between Transyl- the context of Ceauşescu’s rural ‘sistem- of track – frontier crossings in 26 cases; an-
vania and northern Moldavia. A further atizare’ programme) like Bălceşti, Be- other 26 for short standard gauge branches
project was the outstanding goal of a di- chet, Cetate, Cujmir, Melineşti and Pleniţa (retaining a freight service in many cases)
rect line from Iaşi to Botoşani via Hârlau (Barbacioru 1983, p.136). And a study of while seven relate to network adjustment
and Vădeni – 105kms instead of 191kms via the forestry potential of the Lăpuş basin in cities, five involve track realignments
Dorohoi - tackled by tunnelling north of in Maramureş recommended a rail link and six are narrow gauge branches. The
Hârlau at the terminus of the branch from from Târgu Lăpuş to the main line from vast majority occurred before 1970 when
Podul Iloaei (preferred over the Târgu Fru- Baia Mare to Cluj-Napoca at Gilgău (Iacob road transport by bus and lorry was seen
mos variant) that arose out the failure to 1987). Meanwhile, a railway to Moldo- as the optimum transport solution for lo-
implement this project back in 1911. The va Nouă had already been discussed first cal feeder systems serving the main line
Hârlau branch was repaired in 1946 after in the context of a Hungarian project just railways. Discussion of the role of narrow
serious war damage two years previously, before 1914 for the Nera valley to connect gauge railways in agricultural areas in the
but the extension was not started until 1987 Iablaniţa near Orşova with the Timişoara- early 1950s (Lupse 1955) - complementing
whereupon 16kms of the 40km gap were Baziaş line. After World War Two the min- the forest railways referred to later in this
completed by 1990 including Flămânzi sta- ing and metallurgical company operating paper - was diverted by the improved oil
tion (also a tunnel of 0.90kms was virtually in the Anina-Reşiţa area (UDR) envisaged supply in the late 1950s (with new oilfields
finished during1990-4). The railway infra- a dam on the Nera at Sasca and a branch in production and reparations to the So-
structure company still has some expecta- from Răcăjdia near Oraviţa to Moldova viet Union terminated) and the expand-
tion of completion with 2009 as the target. Nouă was studied with summit tunnel of ing vehicle industry. Of the 13 closures that
Another unfinished project of this period 3.0kms on the route to Pojejena. However came later, the only casualties of the 1980s
was a branch from Dângeni (on the Iaşi- this was abandoned in preference to reha- were due to technical obsolescence - the
Dorohoi line of 1896) running parallel to bilitation of the Turnu Severin-Orşova line central (rack) section on the Caransebeş-
the Prut. Such a line was started in 1917 as (Iordănescu & Georgescu pp.I.609-10) pre- Subcetate line - and the historic suburban
a narrow gauge link with Lipcani in north- sumably before the agenda moved further electrified services from Arad to Pâncota
ern Bessarabia but work stopped with the ahead with realignment for the hydropow- and Radna.
outbreak of the Russian revolution and er scheme. The Moldova Nouă link was one
only resumed in 1987 in order to reach the of a number of projects on the CFR’s ‘wish Development
sand deposit at Miocani, via Săveni, Dara- list’ (Ibid, p.II.567) which also included of the existing network
bani and Rădauţi Prut, in order to supply some long-standing Carpathian ambitions, Limited achievement over new railways
the Dorohoi glass works. The line was then rural lines in the Bechet area of Oltenia to should not imply that the railways re-
restricted to a short branch to the town of serve an important irrigated agricultural mained static. The existing infrastructure
Săveni in 1990 and opened the following area, a link from Brăila to Iasaccea, Tulcea had to be developed to meet to needs of the
year, but it was subsequently blocked by a and possibly Sulina, an Apuseni project to country’s core economic areas, reflected
landslide at Vlăsineşti viaduct. No fund- widen the Turda-Abrud narrow-gauge and by a regional planning and administrative
ing has been found to overcome this prob- extend it to Zlatna, a further diversion for system of 16 regions (quickly reduced from
lem although the CFR plan for a reopening hydropower development in the Olt valley the original 28) and then extended to 40
during 2007-9. and a substitute for the rack system to allow counties under the reform of 1968. There
Some of this work seems to have been the reopening of the Bouţari-Sarmizegetu- was initially a second tier comprising 194
decided quite suddenly because a geo- sa line. Some of these projects continued districts (including some large urban ar-
graphical study of Moldavian railways to appear in development plans in the ear- eas where cities enjoyed a wider coordi-
(Nimigeanu 1981) claimed that projects ly 1990s (even some new projects such as a nating role: Braşov (renamed Stalin in the
such as Botoşani-Hârlau and Dângeni- branch to the small town of Bolintin Vale 1950s), Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Constanţa,
Darabani had been abandoned. Perhaps near Bucharest). The Răcăjdia-Moldova Petroşani, Reşiţa and Suceava) reduced to
– in the context of autonomy allowed to Nouă line was again discussed as a way of 150 by 1968. However the focus was clearly
large industrial organisations - the region- improving export outlets for the heavy in- concentrated on the regional centres and
al railway construction company in Iaşi dustries of Reşiţa (Figure 1). All this points small-scale ‘local’ industry was not a ma-
was able to use its political influence to to a reasonably coherent ‘pro-railway’ lob- jor priority, for 35 of the 194 district centres
work on these schemes at a time when elec- by in the party in the 1980s, although it was failed to achieve urban status: their indus-
Geographica Pannonica 09/2005
trification and widening had largely run not formalised in any documents for pub- trial development was restricted to food
its course and there was a political inter- lic consumption and did not surface in any processing, mining or wood-cutting where
est in extending railways as and when re- of Ceauşescu’s speeches. Although devel- suitable resources were available. There-
sources allowed (albeit without any formal opment became focused on the European fore, except in a few cases where major new
nationwide programme). Apart from the transport corridors in the later 1990s, Gro- demands arose (though lignite quarrying
Danube towns of Isaccea, Măcin, Moldo- za and Muntele (1998) were keen to recom- for example), industrial development did
va Nouă and Sulina, there were ten towns mend a whole clutch of railway projects for not require any extension of the railway
more than 10kms from a railway: Baia de improved network connectivity, while the network. An atlas showing communist
36
David
Turnock
achievements in industry in the early years the region of Putna (progressively merged Bucharest and the ports of Constanţa and
(Paptănase & Vornicescu 1964) shows 143 into larger regions based on Bârlad and Brăila; complemented by southward-mov-
‘large’ units in the regional centres (18.3%) then Galaţi), the village lay very close to ing flows from Moldavia (Bacău and Bâr-
and a further 86 in the 12 centres that were Burca that was the terminus of the narrow- lad). Oil flowed from Constanţa to Ploieşti
demoted during the 1950s (11.0%). This still gauge railway from Odobeşti. A road haul- while refined products were distribut-
indicates a substantial level of decentrali- age depot was built in the station yard and ed to Bucharest and the provinces; while
sation to district centres, although no al- a railway extension through Vidra to Valea quarry products were prominent on lines
lowance is made for the scale of production Sării was seen as a logical solution to the to Bucharest from Constanţa, Mărăşeşti
or level of employment and the industri- transport problem in view of the potential and Piteşti. Iron ore trains originated at
al establishments of the largest cities (es- for wood processing. But industrial devel- Constanţa and Galaţi supplying Reşiţa
pecially Bucharest) are under-represent- opment (tied up largely with food process- (via Craiova) and Hunedoara (via Ploieşti
ed. Meanwhile, 403 units were established ing) was abruptly halted when the regional and Braşov) respectively. Coal flows were
in 86 districts with a town as the admin- authorities in Bârlad decided to consoli- highest on the axis from Deva to Petroşani,
istrative centre (51.5%). Another 107 enter- date manufacturing in the regional centre Târgu Jiu and Craiova: both hard coal from
prises (13.7%) fell to 43 districts focussed on in the interests of greater efficiency. Lat- Petroşani and lignite from the area south-
towns promoted to urban status between er reorganisation meant that only two dis- west of Târgu Jiu moving to power stations
1948 and 1968 (including status regained trict centres lacked rail (or river) transport at Craiova, Deva, and Turceni.
at Baia de Aramă, Darabani, Huedin and and also failed to gain promotion to urban TRACTION POLICY. Initially there
Săveni, initially demoted) leaving only 40 status by 1968: Bălceşti near Craiova and was an expansion of steam power, albe-
enterprises (5.1%) in 35 districts that re- Băneasa (Constanţa). Of course, branch- it with the abandonment of Romanian
mained rural throughout. This meant 4.0
projects per district across the country but
5.6 in districts with urban centres, 2.4 in
districts where promotion occurred and 1.1
where it did not.
At the same time, virtually all the en-
terprises were in districts where the centre
had a rail service. Only 24 centres lacked
this facility (and this figure fell to 11 as a
result of reorganisation to reduce the to-
tal number of districts to 150). There were
only 32 enterprises in these centres: 13 (out
of 634) in existing towns (Hârşova, Măcin,
Târgu Neamţ and Siret), 15 (out of 107) in
places promoted to urban status (Baia de
Aramă, Darabani, Horezu, Moldova Nouă,
Novaci, Săveni, Târgu Lăpuş and Vân-
ju Mare) and four (out of 40) in rural dis-
tricts. The significance of railways was all
the greater when it is noted that 10 of the
32 enterprises in non-rail centres com-
prised towns on the Danube (Hârşova, Plate 2 Steam locomotive types featuring the two key inherited standard classes: 0-10-0 Class 50
Măcin and Moldova Nouă, enjoying navi- on the turntable at Drobeta-Turnu Severin (top left) and 4-6-0 Class 230 at Deva (top right). Also
gation facilities) with a further four in dis- the 2-10-0 heavy freight locomotive developed from the German ‘Kriegslok’ in store at Oraviţa
tricts with centres very close to a railhead (bottom left) and a 1950s Reşiţa-built 0-8-0 narrow gauge forest railway locomotive on the
like Drăgăneşti-Olt and Săveni and Vidra. Comandău system
These figures suggest that rail access was a es required in connection with mineral re- designs (e.g. the Malaxa prototype 2-10-
major consideration in location policy; yet sources (coal at Uricani; lignite at Motru 2 heavy freight locomotive of which only
despite the regime’s initial commitment and Rovinari) and hydro-electric schemes two had been built (in 1940-2) in prefer-
to decentralisation and the growth of lo- (Bicaz) were hailed as successes for back- ence for the more versatile 2-10-0 (Class
cal industry, the central planning exercise ward area policy (Moldovan 1964) but such 150) based on the German ‘Kriegslok’ of
did not have the financial and administra- investments were only made in the context which some 400 were built during the
tive resources to cope with too many loca- of compelling natural resources and in- war and again during 1947-70, mainly by
tions. Strong industrial establishments in dustrial potentials. Reşiţa. Reşiţa also built industrial locomo-
all districts, with new railways for those Thus there was a rapid growth of traf- tives (a few 2-8-0Ts and 145 0-6-0Ts dur-
areas lacking such communications, was fic on the existing rail system, particular- ing 1954-6) but especially around 120 0-8-
clearly not a feasible option. Of course ac- ly evident for coal and light manufactures, 0Ts for narrow-gauge forestry lines in the
ademic studies dealing with the potential while coke. wood, firewood, building ma- 1950s, plus a further 11 by UPS (Reghin)
of individual rural districts might recom- terials, cereals and food lost ground rela- (Plate 2). 23 August (Bucharest’s national-
Geographica Pannonica 09/2005
mend a railway extensions as a solution to tively; leaving oil, engineering products, ised Malaxa works) built nine 0-8-0 ten-
local transport problems (Velcea & Cucu quarry products and sugar beet down der locomotives for narrow-gauge lines
1956). But this was not a feasible option and slightly overall. These traffics affected the on the model of Polish locomotives sup-
in many rural centres lacking rail access main lines in roughly equal measure. But plied in 1949. At the sane time many inher-
enterprises were generally concerned with the movement of wood was pronounced ited locomotives remained in service until
woodcutting and mining that could not be between Suceava and Bucharest; while ce- the 1970s and beyond (Plate 2). Apart from
concentrated in urban centres. In the case reals were particularly prominent on the some 120hp ‘locotracteurs’ of the 1938 with
of Vidra, the centre of the Vrancea raion in line from Banat to Craiova and thence to Malaxa-Ganz engines - and others with
37
Romania’s Railway Development 1950-1989:
Changing Priorities for Socialist Construction
out in 1957-8 after the floods of 1952 on the cation. In 1950 only 0.5% of standard gauge
Bentu-Deduleşti section of the Buzău val- Plate 6 23 August diesel-hydraulic network was wide compared with 10.7%
ley (through dyking and canalisation of the locomotives on the narrow gauge: at Câmpeni in 1970 and 27.0% in 1989. The compara-
on the Turda-Abrud line with a mixed train
river) to protect the bridge north of Făurei ble figures for electrification were 0.05%,
including a passenger coach of 1950s vintage
with similar work at the crossing of the Siret built by Unio of Satu Mare (above); and 4.8% and 33.5%. In 1945 the network of wid-
at Suraia. Attention was also needed to the another at Sibiu with a rake of more modern ened lines was limited mainly to Bucharest-
Siret at Cosmeşti (between Mărăşeşti and coaches built by MEVA (Drobeta-Turnu Braşov (thanks to the major programme in
Tecuci) during 1955-65 with further atten- Severin) in the 1980s for the Agnita branch the Prahova valley finished in 1940) and
39
Romania’s Railway Development 1950-1989:
Changing Priorities for Socialist Construction
in 1973 and later in the decade – continu- sections like Bucharest-Ploieşti, Mărăşeşti- where conversion served to increase ca-
ing through the 1980s - other sections were Tecuci and Vinţul de Jos-Apahida. An- pacity without the need for widening (still
dealt with, such as Galaţi-Tecuci, Bârlad- other likely requirement was widening on deemed to be unnecessary). Bucharest-
Iaşi, Dej-Jibou, Sibiu-Vinţul de Jos (ex- the entire line from Bucharest to Craio- Constanţa was converted by 1978 and the
tending the work done between Podul Olt va and Timişoara and because the section Bucharest-Craiova line in 1979, both in the
and Sibiu in 1958-9). Widening involved through the Iron Gates could not be de- decade following the completion of wid-
some major engineering work where addi- veloped (due to flooding after the viaducts ening. And by 1984 conversion had spread
tional tunnels had to be bored (for example and support structures has been installed from Ploieşti to Suceava and Iaşi, from
40
David
Turnock
Braşov to Teiuş - and from there to Arad/ most notably in the case of the Sighet sys- and heritage functions. Two others were
Caransebeş and Dej, Bucharest to Piteşti tem in Maramureş that now reached the transferred to industrial users in c.1970: one
and Buzău-Faurei-Galaţi/Făurei-Feteşti; Runcu and Şugău valleys, while in Neamţ at Borsec for mineral water (now closed)
also Ilia-Arad with Salva-Suceava com- new lines at Roznov and Pipirig were com- and other at Bistriţa (Vâlcea) that still car-
pleted since 1989. Electrified railway thus plemented by an enlarged Bistriţa raft- ries limestone to the Govora chemical fac-
increased from just 58kms in 1950 (relat- ing system that spawned short railways in tory. In the 1980s at a time of strong politi-
ing to a former Hungarian suburban sys- the Criştişor and Om valleys. Several ma- cal support for railways some new branches
tem in the Arad area) and 224kms in jor new funiculars were built in Vrancea to were built at Moldoviţa and Râsca (the sur-
1970 to 3,680kms in 1990 with the great- simplify movements to sawmills (Căldari- viving section of the Fălticeni system) and
est progress made during the 1970s when Secuiu to carry Zăbala valley timber to Ne- the state logging company at Caransebeş
2,143kms were converted. Only in a few hoiu sawmill and Motnău-Rădurii to link had plans for two new railways at Voislova
cases like Filiaşi-Strehaia was single track the Râmnicu Sărat valley with Gugeşti and Zăvoi.
widened after electrification. Again much sawmill) while Oituz sawmill had a funic- THE CASE OF VÂLCEA COUNTY.
engineering was required to reprofile tun- ular link with the CFR at Breţcu. Space does not permit a detailed review
nels with the Jiu valley line a particular but the engineering challenges are no bet-
challenge in this respect, as well as the new ter seen that in the Vâlcea area where rail-
Mestecăniş tunnel that had to reprofiled in ways had to access the forests from the rel-
the 1980s. In some cases entirely new bores atively low level of the Olt defile through
were needed as in the case of the Orşova- which a main line railway was built in 1901
Caransebeş line where two new tunnels (Figure 3). The history of commercial forest
(total length 1.36kms) were made during exploitation initially focused on the Lotru
the 1970s. At Strapiţa this led to a return valley that gave access to resinous timber
to the original alignment of 1878 after the on the eastern flanks of the Parâng Moun-
threat of river erosion had caused a diver- tains. Water-powered sawmills in the
sion to be taken in 1911-3. Lotru valley appeared from the mid-19th
century feeding timber to the main high-
Narrow gauge for the CFR way along the Olt valley. From small be-
and the romanian forests ginnings the business was consolidated in
Plate 7 One of the many short industrial
The paper has made relatively little men- branches: giving access to a cement depot 1873 when Carol Novac’s sawmill opened
tion of industrial lines although there were at Oraviţa with another diesel mechanical in Brezoi, served by a floating system on
numerous short spurs giving access to fac- shunting locomotive type in the foreground: the Lotru (continuing through rafting on
tories and depots (Plate 7). However, in the a modernised version of Class 20,000 built by the Olt to sawmills at Slatina, Stoeneşti
context of narrow-gauge lines the system 23 August in the mid-1960s and Turnu Măgurele) maintained by the
operated by CFR – albeit reduced by clo- Forest railways handled 53% of all tim- partners of the large capitalist company
sures and conversions – was very small ber transport in 1955 compared with 44% (‘Oltul’) formed in 1904. Meanwhile, the
in relation to the network of ‘industrial’ in 1944 and their primacy was not serious- Olt railway was followed by a road along
lines for the forests, including many built ly compromised until 1958 when the rise in the Lotru - and the addition of a tourist
in the 1950s. Indeed if there was a ‘heroic’ oil production and the priority for the home function to the logging village of Voineasa
phase of new railway construction it argu- market (rather than exports to the Soviet - while forest railways were pushed up trib-
ably involved the forestry sector. National- Union) gave a boost to the Romanian vehi- utary valleys like the Păscoaia/Priboiasa
isation of forests paved the way for plan- cle-building industry. Road transport was (1922-60), Vasilat (1914-40) and Voineşiţa
ning on the basis of large units – ‘unităţi considered to be much cheaper than rail and in the inter-war years (15kms in the case
forestiere mari’ – comprising whole river special trucks were designed for the timber of the Voineşiţa, worked by locomotives
basins and 80% of these were accessed by industry (including a winching system that assembled from pieces) (Moga & Stanciu
railway, road or funicular (cable) systems, enabled drivers to load their lorries unaid- 2002) . There were also short branches in
compared with 10% for canals or animal ed). A change in direction was spelt out by the Malaia area alomg the lower reaches of
haulage while another 10% remained inac- the Eighth Congress of the RCP in 1958 and the Bucureasa, Căprăreasa and Păisul val-
cessible. Many new 760mm railways were major review of forest transport was carried leys. Finally, the decay of the floating sys-
needed: indeed it is estimated that an in- out by the Institut de Studii şi Proiectări tem during the Second World War, along
crease of 336kms between 1944 and 1950 în Industria Lemnului in 1960-1 paved the with flood damage and the expectation of
was followed by a further 1,048kms dur- way for a switch to forest roads that made hydro-electrical developments, resulted in
ing 1951-5 and 321kms during 1956-8 built a radical impact in areas like Vrancea that a forest railway all the way along the main
by the Ministry of Forests Paper & Cel- had previously sent timber to factories out- valley from Brezoi to Voineasa after na-
lulose using local patriotic labour to ex- side the district by funiculars. Steeper val- tionalisation (1948-54), with a number of
pand the network of forest railways (‘căile leys could now be negotiated and most fu- funiculars to open up remote parts of the
ferate forestiere’: CFF) to a total of some niculars closed, while the emergence of a Lotru catchment. But due to technical dif-
6,000kms. Given the pressure to maintain network of large centralised wood process- ficulties it was not possible to extend the
the high level of wartime timber output ing units in urban centres made the exist- railway along the Latoriţa valley although
(partly for reparations to the USSR) in the ing railways less useful: many closed during a road has now been constructed.
Geographica Pannonica 09/2005
face of a severe oil shortage and inadequate the 1960s (especially those costly to main- However during the inter-war years
road transport, there was a short phase of tain, with flood damage accelerating the a new challenge was posed with regard
intensive development to open up new process in some cases). Significantly howev- to the mixed beech and coniferous for-
sections of the Carpathian forest and al- er, rising oil prices in the 1970s prompted a ests lying south of the long ridge formed
low the most accessible areas some respite. decision to retain those systems that were by the Căpătânii Mountains (forming a
Some entirely new systems were construct- still in existence: they survived until 1989 succession of peaks - such as Ursu 2124m,
ed as shown in Figure 1 but it was more and two are still in existence – at Moldoviţa Zmeuret 1979m, Lespezi 1822m, Net-
usual for existing systems to be extended, and Vişeu de Sus – with timber transport edul 1822m, Preota 1954m, Căprăreasa
41
Romania’s Railway Development 1950-1989:
Changing Priorities for Socialist Construction
forests of the Buila-Scânteia area. Steam summits: Plaiul Prislopei/Piatra Tăiată in the 1950s there was also a plan to use
power was provided by a 120hp Lanz en- between the Cheia and Olăneşti valleys, the Bistriţa railway as the base from which
gine moved 50 ‘vagoneţi’ 240m apart each M.Târnicior/Botul Margareţei between the other valleys could be penetrated: not only
carrying 600-700kg of wood. In the com- Prislop (Costeşti) valley and the Bistriţa, the Prislop to the east (giving access to
munist period this system was developed and Plaiul Govora between the Bistriţa the southwestern edge of the Buila ridge)
by four kilometres of forest railway along headwaters and its tributary the Gurgiu. but also a series of valleys to the west: Ho-
the Căprăreasa headwater of the Cheia The valley profiles themselves were steep in rezu, Luncavăţ, Cerna and Olteţ. But the
above Canton Cheia with a small diesel lo- places - with gorges on the Bistriţa at Arno- plan was only partially realised. A line to
42
David
Turnock
the Luncavăţ valley, extending north of zu reached the ‘plai’ from the Râmeşti val- Groza, O., Muntele, I. 1998. ‘L’efficacité du
Vaideeni, was built as planned but the oth- ley and crossed into the Malaia valley of the reseau ferroviaire et l’accessibilité terri-
er proposals were abandoned given the Lotru catchment while throwing off pasto- toriale en Roumanie’ Revue Roumaine
road building policy adopted in 1958. ral roads that followed the main watershed. de Géographie 42, 15-28.
Another early post-war project con- Another crossing was made from the Olteţ Iacob, G. 1987. ‘Potenţialul forestier al bazi-
cerned the timber on the northeastern across the summit to Patrimanu Lake in the nului hidrografic Lăpuş şi valorificarea
side of the Cozia massif. Steep valley pro- Latoriţa valley. lui’, Lucrărilor Seminarului Geografic
files prevented construction directly from Dimitrie Cantemir Iaşi 8, 277-84.
the Olt so a start was made at Stoeneşti in Conclusion Iordănescu, D., Georgescu, D. 1986. Con-
the Sălătrucel valley. The line followed the The special circumstances of the 1950s, strucţii pentru transporturi în Româ-
tributary Brădisor valley through Dângeşti when Romania was forced into the Soviet nia (Bucharest: Centrala de Construc-
village to the east of Cozia mountain and mode of communist dictatorship and cen- ţii Căi Ferate) 2 vols.
crossed the watershed into the Băiaşu tral planning, with the heavy constraint of Moga, N., Stanciu, G. 2002. Voineasa: pa-
catchment at the 738m Gresiilor Saddle Moscow’s war reparation demands, neces- radigma identităţii (Resita: Editura
(below Cumpăna mountain) to access the sarily placed heavy reliance on steam rail- Timpul),
Groşilor forest below. This inevitably con- ways with ambitious plans for network ex- Moldovan, R. 1964. ‘Dezvoltarea economi-
travened the guiding principle that load- pansion to continue the rhythm of growth că a regiunilor relative rămase în urmă
ed wagons should move downhill wherever from the 1940s. On the state railway events în trecut’: V. Malinchi ed., Industria ro-
possible and although bulk was reduced by were quickly overtaken by the ‘new course’ mâniei 1944-1964 (Bucharest: Editura
locating the Casian sawmill within the for- of 1953, but the forest railways continued Academiei RPR) 135-62.
est to process part of the production close to expand on a remarkable scale until a Muică, N., Turnock, D. 2003. The railway
to the source, it was still necessary to take switch to road transport was signalled in age on the Carpathian forests: a study
all loaded wagons – sawn timber, unoproc- 1958. In the ‘middle period’ it is evident of Romania’, Geographica Pannonica
essed stems or ‘buşteni’ and firewood in that new transport technology served to 7, 9-20.
meter lengths (‘metri’) - up to the summit increase the role of other modes (airways Nimigeanu, V. 1981. ‘Căile de comunicaţie
in small groups of four before a full train for inter-city links with roads as local feed- şi transporturile din Podişul Moldovei’,
could be marshalled. More complex howev- ers) so that for railways the focus moved to Lucrările Seminarului Geografic Dimi-
er was the system for crossing a lower but capacity increases on the existing system - trie Cantemir Iaşi 2, 201-9.
steeper watershed at 700m between the up- to serve a set of expanding regional centres Paptănase, E., Vornicescu, F. 1964. Atlas
per Brădisor (Valea Mică) and the paral- on which the bulk of the investment was geographic (Bucharest: Editura Didac-
lel Rădoaia valley that also drained to the allocated - rather than create new routes. tică şi Pedagogică).
Sălătrucel and where the main control for The railways thus passed from a phase of Peaha, M., 1965. ‘Contribuţii la studiul po-
the line was located. Here a zig-zag layout extensive development to one of intensive sibilităţilor de construire căii ferate
was installed by CFF chief engineer Nicolae growth. But curiously, given the idiosyn- Curtea de Argeş-Râmnicu Vâlcea’, Co-
Armăsescu which meant that the locomo- cratic approach taken by the Ceauşescu ré- municăre de Geografie 3, 287-300.
tive had to reverse three times. Further to gime in the 1980s, a policy of self-sufficien- Rădoi. A. 1954. ‘Geografia transporturilor
the north, a railway was built from the Olt cy and energy conservation switched the şi a căilor de comunicaţie din RPR’, Na-
at Cornet through the Titeşti valley to con- focus back to the railways and new con- tura 6(1), 3-23.
nect with a funicular extending to the upper struction accelerated. There was no long- Reichel, R., Hufnagel, H. 1990. Wälder und
Topolog via the watershed south of Zănoage term plan but the CFR were evidently able Dampf: 1000km auf den Waldbahnen
mountain (1554m), operating until 1970. It to produce a ‘wish list’ (including both old Rumäniens (Gablitz: Otto Novacek).
seems that after serious fire damage the fu- and new ideas) and the regional railway Soran, E., 1953. ‘Maretul program al dez-
nicular system extended all the way to the construction companies were put to work voltării căilor ferate’, Probleme Econo-
Olt valley. There was also a 15km line in the on them, while also continuing to dealing mice 6(4), 77-99.
Călineşti (surviving until 1965) with a rack with widening and electrification work. Turnock, D. 1999. Railways and econom-
system to reach the slopes of Robul moun- And although the pendulum has swung ic development in Romania before 1918
tain at Izvoru Frumos and another of seven again since 1989 this latest era of expan- (Leicester: University of Leicester, Fac-
kilometres extending along the Uria valley sionism continues to influence Romanian ulty of Social Sciences Discussion Pa-
from Câineni, though it did not operate af- transport planning over its current preoc- pers in Geography G99/1).
ter World War Two. Road building quickly cupation with the European corridors. Turnock, D. 2004. Railway network de-
brought an end to the forest railways during velopment in inter-war Romania: eco-
the 1960s and the fact that none survived References nomic and strategic motives, Geografi-
into the later communist years is an indi- Barbacioru, C., 1983. Raţionalitate în rear- ca Pannonica 8, 16-24
cation of the difficulties of operation and tizarea teritorială a forţelor de produc- Velcea, I., Cucu, V. 1956. ‘Geografia econo-
maintenance. The roads themselves were ţie: studiu comparative pe exemplul ju- mică a raionului Novaci’, Probleme de
works of art even in the main valleys like deţelor din Oltenia (Craiova: Scrisul Geografie 3, 271-88.
the Prislop north of Pietreni which had de- Românesc).
fied the railway builders. Figure 3 shows the Beier, R.,Hufnagel, H. 1993. Wälder und
winding roads towards the Buila ridge while Dampf II: Bilder aus vergangenen Ta-
Geographica Pannonica 09/2005
a tunnel was necessary under Stogu moun- gen der CFF (Gablitz: Otto Novacek). Acknowledgement
tain to reach the uppermost section of the Bondoc, D. 2002. Coteşti-Vâlcea: 45 secole The assistance of Serban Lacriţeanu (Bu-
Cheia. In places the valley roads went right- de istorie - monografie (Râmnicu Vâl- charest) and Gheorghe Ploaie (Râmnicu
across the Căpătânii: one road from Hore- cea: Editura Offsetcolor) Vâlcea) is gratefully acknowledged.
43