Hitachi Rail and CFR SA modernize railway signalling in Romania

The two stations are located on the European TEN-T Corridor 22, part of the route connecting Central and Eastern Europe with Constanța. The modernization addresses signalling, telecommunications, power supply and railway infrastructure, with applications including train movement control, passenger information, public announcements and video surveillance.

CFR SA, Romania’s national railway infrastructure administrator, is responsible for the infrastructure, while Hitachi Rail provides the signalling and telecommunications technologies implemented as part of the modernization projects. The cooperation combines infrastructure rehabilitation and systems integration with the deployment of a new electronic interlocking architecture.

Electronic interlocking deployment
A key part of the work is the commissioning of the ESTW/IXL L90 RO electronic interlocking system at the two stations. The system was commissioned at Ciulnița in December 2025 and at Fetești in June 2026. According to Hitachi Rail, this is the first deployment of the technology within Romania’s railway network.

The system is based on the Technology and Application System (TAS) platform and IPR7.0 software. It replaces the SELMIS platform, which had been used across the national railway network for more than 20 years.

The new architecture incorporates components including a Data Logger for maintenance and diagnostic activities and a Cyber Security Observer to support cybersecurity functions. The architecture is also designed to improve system connectivity while reducing energy consumption during deployment and operation.

Integration with railway infrastructure
The signalling modernization was implemented alongside rehabilitation of railway infrastructure and superstructure, civil engineering works, power-supply upgrades and overhead contact-line improvements. Telecommunications systems include video surveillance, passenger information and public announcement functions.

The combination of signalling and telecommunications systems with the physical railway infrastructure requires coordination between equipment, software, power systems and existing railway assets. The projects were implemented in accordance with applicable European CENELEC standards covering railway safety, availability and reliability.

Operational applications
The upgraded infrastructure is intended to support railway traffic management while providing more timely passenger information and improved maintenance diagnostics. The electronic interlocking architecture also provides a technological basis for further digitalization of railway operations.

The cooperation between Hitachi Rail and CFR SA therefore covers both technology deployment and integration with existing railway infrastructure, supporting the transition from legacy signalling systems toward a more digitally connected railway environment.

Edited by Sucithra Mani, Induportals editor – adapted by AI.

www.hitachirail.com