---
title: "Moldova's Railway Derailed: Debt, Decay, and an Uncertain Future"
url: https://moldova1.md/p/24399/moldova-s-railway-derailed-debt-decay-and-an-uncertain-future
published: 2024-02-13T18:18:51Z
language: en
section: "Economic"
source: moldova1.md
---

# Moldova's Railway Derailed: Debt, Decay, and an Uncertain Future

> Moldova's national railway operator, Calea Ferată din Moldova (CFM), is grappling with a triple threat: mounting employee salary debt, a rapidly ageing fleet, and an impending deadline for locomotive use.

Moldova's national railway operator, Calea Ferată din Moldova (CFM), is grappling with a triple threat: mounting employee salary debt, a rapidly ageing fleet, and an impending deadline for locomotive use.

![Calea Ferată din Moldova](https://storage.moldova1.md/images/a0389b07-45e5-4eb6-94da-159a2414d2a9.jpg)

*Sursa: Calea Ferată din Moldova*

Outgoing director Oleg Tofilat announced a staggering 135 million lei ($7.2 million) in unpaid wages for employees accumulated between November 2023 and January 2024. Facing this urgent crisis, Tofilat proposed bank loans as a potential solution.

But financial woes run deeper than unpaid salaries. Tofilat revealed a dire state of the railway fleet, with 60% classified as *"poor"* and 40% in *"critical"* condition. Further compounding the problem, most locomotives will become unusable after 2025 due to outdated technology, severely impacting international transportation.

*"By 2025, 95% of wagons will exceed their operational lifespan,"* Tofilat warned. *"All grain cars will be phased out, rendering them ineligible for international transport."*

Citing the deteriorating situation, Tofilat resigned on January 29, 2024. CFM's troubles began in August 2022 with the reopening of the Ukrainian port of Odessa, leading to a significant decline in freight transit. The company incurred estimated losses of 150 million lei ($8 million) in 2023.

Serghei Tomșa has been appointed interim director, tasked with navigating these complex challenges and securing the future of Moldova's crucial railway network.

Translation by **Iurie Tataru**