As many as 266 trains halt as railway infrastructure workers go on strike

As many as 266 trains halt as railway infrastructure workers go on strike

As many as 266 passenger, private and freight trains were halted on Friday morning after railway infrastructure workers went on a warning strike, the National Trade Union Bloc (BNS) reports.

"The National Trade Union Bloc, through its affiliates - the National Commercial Railway Federation and the ELCATEL Federation - collected 17,000 signatures from CFR Infrastructura employees for today's strike, and at this moment a number of 266 passengers, private and freight trains are halted," BNS says in a press statement.

The National Railway Federation for Commercial Rail Cars and the "Drum de Fier - Elcatel" Trade Union Alliance called for a warning strike on Friday morning, bringing trains to a halt.

The warning strike is said to be designed to draw attention to "issues that can no longer be kept hidden in the halls of the Ministry of Transport or the government."

Among the reasons underlying the decision to organise the warning strike are: the absence of approved revenue and expenditure budgets for the current year, which inevitably leads to a generalised blockage in the railway sector, and also the absence of strategic and consistent funding for the railway .

CFR Calatori, the national passenger railway corporation, says its employees are not participating in the warning strike on Friday, but the strike could affect the run of certain trains operated by CFR Calatori, as well as other railway operators, during the two hours of protest.

According to the CFR Calatori Train Schedule, there are 266 trains running on Friday, September 15, between 07:00hrs and 09:00hrs, the time of the strike.

Passengers on the affected trains are entitled to partial or full refund under the Romanian Railway Transport Regulation in force. Refund details are available on the company's website.