On 19.02.2025, at 10:45 am, on the area of activity of the Regional Branch CF Craiova, Roșiori Nord - Caracal (electrified double line) in the Mihăiești station Y end of the station, over the gauging station no. 2/4, a freight train derailed the last 2 wagons of its composition, affecting the clearance gauge on the adjacent line, on which another freight train was running and which collided with the derailed wagons. Staff from the Romanian Railway Investigation Agency - AGIFER and from the Romanian Railway Safety Authority - ASFR were directed to the scene. AGIFER started the investigation procedure into this rail accident.

In the first half of February 2025, ASFR developed and submitted to the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure's approval and approval circuit the following draft normative acts, according to ASFR's specific attribution of monitoring, promoting and, where appropriate, applying and updating the regulatory framework in the field of safety, including the system of national norms, provided for in art. 16 para. (2) let. i) of GEO no. 73/2019 on railway safety.

We would like to draw attention to some inaccurate information appearing in press articles published today, January 21, 2025, regarding the meeting organized by ASFR at its headquarters in Bucharest yesterday, January 20, 2025, having as its object the stage of the process of improving the national legislation in the field railway and the analysis of the OMTI project regarding the operation and management of railway traffic.

The European Union Agency for Railways has renewed the reference number of the Romanian Railway Safety Authority - ASFR as a nationally recognized assessment body, in accordance with Implementing Regulation (EU) no. 402/2013; the new reference number is: EIN number RO/36/0124/0001 from 04/12/2024 valid until 03/12/2029.

Following the consultation with the factors involved and the interested parties in the railway sector, as well as the integration of the proposals and observations received from the MoH and the MAI, ASFR developed and submitted to the TF Directorate of MTI the improved version of the draft Government Decision for the approval of the Norms regarding verification, ascertaining and sanctioning the consumption of alcohol or psychoactive substances, in the case of personnel with attributions regarding traffic safety in railway and metro transport.

On July 29, 2024, the Cooperation Agreement regarding the cooperation and information exchange mechanism was concluded between the Romanian Railway Investigation Agency - AGIFER and the Romanian Railway Safety Authority - ASFR, based on the provisions of Delegated Regulation (EU) no. 2018/761 of the Commission of February 16, 2018. The cooperation agreement was signed by Mr. Laurentiu DUMITRU, general manager of AGIFER, and Mr. Petru BOGDAN, general director of ASFR and aims to maintain the good institutional collaboration between the two institutions, in order to facilitate the exercise of the powers of each of the parties in order to improve railway safety in Romania.

In July, ASFR issued the following unique safety certificates:

- to the rail transport operator Rail Trans Vagon S.R.L., the unique safety certificate no. RO1020240166, valid from 26/07/2024 until 25/07/2029, for "Transport of goods, including dangerous goods transport services" operations;

- to the railway transport operator EMA RAIL S.R.L., the unique safety certificate no. RO1020240167, valid from 26/07/2024 to 28/07/2029, for operations of "Transport of goods, including dangerous goods transport services".

Order no. 1471/2023 regarding the approval of tariffs for the provision of specific activities carried out by the Romanian Railway Safety Authority - ASFR, with the additions and amendments brought by OMTI 1185 of June 19, 2024.

The Bulletin of the Romanian Railway Safety Authority - ASFR, whose first number we are inaugurating now, is a publication made available free of charge to economic operators in the railway field in Romania and whose content we want to be useful to them, by presenting all the concrete aspects of the activities carried out by ASFR, according to its attributions arising from the specific regulatory framework.

In the period 08-09 May 2024, the first safety surveillance action carried out jointly by the national safety authorities from Bulgaria and Romania, respectively the Railway Administration Executive Agency (RAEA) and the Romanian Railway Safety Authority - ASFR, took place in the joint stations of Ruse and Vidin border.