Parliament has adopted the Railway Transport Code, which aims to eliminate the monopoly of the state company CFM on the market of railway services. The railway infrastructure will continue to be state property, but private operators will be allowed to provide rail transport and haulage services.
The Code establishes a framework that governs, among other things, the provision of passenger services, compensation schemes and other issues related to the protection of consumer rights in this area.
Also on Friday, the legislature voted to create the Railway Authority, which will have the obligation to issue permissive acts in the field of railway transport, such as: railway transport authorization, safety certificate for railway undertakings, safety authorization for the infrastructure manager. The documents will be issued free of charge.
Additionally, Parliament approved an increase from €50 million to €74 million in the loan offered to Moldova by the European Investment Bank to modernize railway infrastructure. This will enable CFM to rehabilitate Moldova’s busiest rail span, Bender-Căușeni-Basarabeasca-Etulia-Giurgiulești.
