Romania’s national railway infrastructure company, CFR SA, has launched a tender with a maximum estimated value of 4.09 billion lei excluding VAT for maintenance works across seven regional branches. The four-year procurement is intended to improve rail safety and remove speed restrictions where technical and safety conditions allow.
Seven lots cover the regional network
The procedure is divided into seven lots covering the Bucharest, Craiova, Timişoara, Cluj, Braşov, Galaţi and Constanţa regional branches. Each lot has a maximum estimated value of 584.5 million lei excluding VAT. CFR SA plans to conclude seven framework agreements, each lasting 48 months, rather than awarding fixed execution contracts for the full headline amount at this stage. The company said the 4.09 billion lei figure is the maximum total estimated value of the agreements over four years, not the value of works already awarded. The deadline for submitting offers for all seven lots is 23 November 2026 at 15:00, with the tender documents available in SEAP.
Framework agreements separate planning from delivery
The procurement uses framework agreements concluded centrally by CFR SA, while the subsequent contracts for carrying out particular works will be signed by the regional branches. This arrangement allows work to be ordered in response to identified needs and available funding during the framework period, rather than committing all works at once. CFR SA said financing is provided from the state budget through budget title 51, covering the maintenance and operation of public infrastructure under the Lines Directorate. For suppliers, the structure means the tender establishes the terms for future orders, while the actual interventions will depend on requirements identified by the regional branches and the funds allocated.
Works target track condition and speed restrictions
The procurement documents provide for replacing rails, sleepers and the crushed-stone layer on running and direct lines, using new materials. They also cover rebuilding the track support structure around points and level crossings, alongside the complete replacement of crushed stone in those areas. Another objective is continuous welded track, which removes discontinuities between rails and can improve track behaviour in operation while reducing maintenance needs at joints. CFR SA said the works are intended to return the affected sections to the technical parameters corresponding to the designed speeds for passenger and freight trains, and to lift speed restrictions where the required technical and safety conditions are met.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Contracting authority | Compania Naţională de Căi Ferate CFR SA |
| Maximum estimated value | 4.09 billion lei excluding VAT |
| Procurement structure | Seven lots and seven framework agreements |
| Framework duration | 48 months |
| Maximum value per lot | 584.5 million lei excluding VAT |
| Award criterion | Best price-quality ratio: price 75%, warranty period 25% |
| Offer deadline | 23 November 2026, 15:00 |
The 4.09 billion lei figure is the maximum total estimated value of the seven framework agreements for the entire four-year period, not the value of execution contracts already awarded.
WHY IT MATTERS
This tender illustrates how a public buyer can use framework agreements for recurring infrastructure needs. The central agreement sets the procurement structure, while subsequent contracts allow regional branches to commission works according to identified requirements and available state funding. The headline value is therefore a maximum estimate for the framework period, not a sum already awarded to contractors.
Reported from economica.net, 2026-10-19. The Tender Wire is published by Otnox.
