Railport Arad: A Terminal of European Scale Is Being Expanded

With an initial investment of €25 million, the logistics center in western Romania connects the country with Western Europe on a daily basis—and starting in June 2026, it will enter a new expansion phase financed through the EU Transport Programme 2021–2027.

A benchmark terminal in Central and Eastern Europe

Railport Arad, part of the Curtici Cargo Center, is the largest and most modern intermodal inland terminal in Romania and one of the largest in Central and Eastern Europe. The €25 million investment plays an important role as a regional terminal operator, primarily serving continental traffic, and has already demonstrated strong potential as a logistics hub for freight flows between Western Europe, Turkey, and the Balkans.

The terminal offers regular rail connections to intermodal terminals in Liège, Antwerp, Duisburg, Lambach, Lovosice, and Budapest, with frequencies ranging from two to five round trips per week. Loading operations are carried out 24 hours a day.

Kalmar equipment

With four-wheeled gantry cranes, three reach stackers, and three terminal tractors—all from Kalmar—every type of intermodal transport unit at Railport Arad is handled quickly and efficiently: from standard containers of various sizes to semi-trailers, flat racks, and mobile units.

With five loading tracks, each with a usable length of between 620 and 650 meters under cranes, containers and trailers can be handled in parallel. Up to four full trains can be processed simultaneously, with the possibility of directly transferring units from one train to another. In addition, there are two tracks available for wagon parking.

€9.5 million expansion starting in June

At the end of 2024, the Railport Arad expansion project was selected for funding under the Transport Programme 2021–2027, Priority P7, aimed at developing maritime and multimodal transport. The evaluation of bids to select the winning companies is currently underway, and implementation of the project will begin in June.

The project includes:

 - Extension of all seven railway tracks to a maximum corridor length of 740 meters

 - Installation of OCR gates for road and rail

 - Implementation of a new terminal operating system

 - Construction of a new office building

 - Development of a photovoltaic park for self-consumption

 - Expansion of the external lighting and fire protection network

The total value of the project amounts to €9.5 million excluding VAT, with a non-repayable funding component of 20%.

The expansion will take place on a newly acquired 3.5-hectare site. The total area of the Curtici Cargo Center is approximately 35 hectares.

In addition to the intermodal terminal Railport Arad as its core component, the Curtici Cargo Center also offers storage facilities for palletized goods in a modern warehouse (3,600 m²) as well as 5,000 m² of uncovered storage space.

Additional services include railway shunting operations, ensuring connections to the CFR Curtici station, agencies, as well as shipping and trucking services for first- and last-mile logistics.

The transport and logistics complex also features a Gold-level truck parking facility for 200 trucks, including driver rest areas with a restaurant and a wagon repair facility.

Source: https://clubferoviar.ro/railport-arad-extindere-2026/