As a consequence of CFR Marfă's bankruptcy, the Romanian government has announced the creation of a new state-owned rail freight company, Carpatica Feroviar. The establishment of this new entity is intended to meet Romania's defense needs and ensure prioritized mobility, as outlined in an official government explanatory note.
The Romanian railway company Carpatica Feroviar has assumed the role of CFR Marfă. This company held a 31.2% market share in the rail freight transport sector but was operating at a financial loss for several years before the acquisition. Additionally, CFR Marfă is required by the European Commission to recover €522 million in state aid. The Romanian government, however, considered it essential to maintain a state-owned rail freight company, particularly because of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
"The European rail freight sector is under pressure, given the current geopolitical context caused by the military conflict in the Black Sea region, where the Romanian state, through the national rail freight operator, plays a decisive role in ensuring rail freight transport to and from Ukraine," noted the Romanian government in the explanatory note.
Carpatica Feroviar will engage in two distinct types of activities: strategic and commercial. Its strategic activities will be oriented towards ensuring prioritized mobility, particularly in situations characterized by crises, and towards fulfilling Romania's international obligations. Its commercial activities will focus on the domestic rail freight market, which currently comprises 39 operators, three of which provide both passenger and freight transport services.
