Waiting for a train
- Waiting for a train in Comana, Giurgiu county, Romania
[!](https://libranet.de/photos/petrescatraian/image/8675653179672f6cce98596475512201)
Edit: some context needed; the station is on the line connecting Bucharest (the capital of Romania) to Giurgiu, a city on the border with Bulgaria, right next to Ruse, across the Danube. The line was the first rail line opened in a Romanian country (not the first on the current Romanian territory though), in 1869. In 2005, the rail link closed due to a flood which crushed the bridge over the Argeș river, near Comana (where the pic was taken). Since then, trains going to Giurgiu had to take a detour to Videle, which extended the travel time to as much as 4 hours, for a distance that was no longer than 60 km in straight line, and sometimes with a change.
This year, after almost 20 years, the works on the line were partially finished, so Bucharest is finally connected to Giurgiu directly. However, the story is not over. Due to terrain issues further down the line, only smaller Siemens Desiro DMUs are allowed to go on this route. International trains, including the famous Orient Express, are still required to take the detour route on the way to Bulgaria and Turkey. Around 2026 the line will close again, this time for consolidating that part, as well as for doubling the tracks and for electrifying the whole line. Only after, all trains of all weights will be allowed to go through again.
