Moldova railway revives 40-year-old locomotive
After almost a year of repairs, a 40-year-old locomotive is set to be back on the tracks. Workers say that maintenance and testing on the unit are in their final stages.
Soon, all technical defects will be fixed, and the locomotive can return to service. Representatives of Moldova's Railway (Calea Ferată a Moldovei - CFM) state that after a ten-year hiatus, they've relaunched their own technical and engineering capabilities. The state-owned enterprise allocated 820,000 lei (€41,408.49) for the locomotive's repair.
Mihail Cubițchi has been working as a fitter at the Railway for three decades. He knows every detail of the repaired unit's parts, some weighing tens of tons.
"The engine was replaced, the crankshaft was changed, and many small parts were replaced. Most of the work involved the engine. I've gotten used to it here and I like it; there's nowhere else for me to go to work. I have one more year until retirement; this work has gotten into my blood," says Mihail Cubițchi, a fitter.
Until now, CFM didn't have the necessary resources for major internal repairs. The company had relied on external services. In addition to this unit, three more are scheduled for repair.
The three locomotives needing repair are in the depot. Some of them have already been disassembled and are awaiting the delivery of spare parts and the allocation of necessary financial resources to continue restoration work.
"Buying a new locomotive would cost us approximately four million euros, or even more. It's simpler to invest one million lei and extend its service life, especially since the CM3 series performs well. If we invest in them and repair them properly, the locomotives will work for a long time," mentioned Iuri Preguza, an engineer and head of the Locomotive Depot.
The repaired locomotive shows that, although CFM has faced significant financial difficulties since 2009, an important step towards recovery is being made. After years of increasing losses and problems, including in 2022 due to reduced rail transit, it's now investing in repairs and modernization. Additionally, employees' salary arrears are being paid in stages.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
