Romania awards Siemens contract for 12 hydrogen trains
ROMANIA: State rail authority ARF has awarded Siemens Mobility a EUR 325 million contract to supply 12 hydrogen multiple units after three previous failed tender rounds, including a 30-year maintenance period.
The contract, signed 15 April, covers Siemens Mireo Plus H trainsets for non-electrified PSO routes including Bucharest–Pitești and Bucharest–Târgoviște.
Sole bidder after three failed rounds
The Siemens consortium — comprising Siemens Mobility SRL, Siemens Mobility GmbH and Siemens Mobility Austria GmbH — was the sole bidder in the final round.
Three previous tender rounds had failed to produce a contract: two were cancelled for lack of bids, one for a non-compliant submission.
The awarded routes are non-electrified lines operating under public service obligation. ARF chose hydrogen traction over electrification or battery alternatives.
The contract also covers the Bucharest–Henri Coandă Airport line and the Curtea de Argeș corridor, among others.
PNRR funding lost ahead of contract award
ARF had originally secured PNRR financing for the procurement under the EU’s post-pandemic recovery instrument, which carries fixed disbursement deadlines.
That funding was lost before the contract could be signed. ARF is now seeking alternative financing to underpin the order.