Moldovan rail company puts 'Soviet' locomotives, refrigerator cars up for sale

CHISINAU. April 17 (Interfax) - The state-owned Calea Ferata din Moldova or CFM (Moldovan Railways) has announced plans to sell locomotives and refrigerator cars at two auctions on April 28-29, the company said on its website.

"On April 28, 2026 at 9.00 a.m., there will be a discounted auction, at which 21 locomotives will be sold in 21 lots. Of this, 19 lots will be 3TE10M locomotives and two will be 2TE10L locomotives," the statement reads.

A discounted auction for the sale of 17 refrigerator car compartments, including one ZB-5-659-10 service car and four ZB-5-659 refrigerator cars, and one four-axle refrigerator car has been scheduled for April 29.

For the last few years, CFM has been going through a prolonged financial crisis due to decreased volumes of cargo transportation and revenue, and some branches have delayed salary payments for over half a year. The enterprise has also been forced multiple times to send employees on compulsory leave with partial salary payments. Due to these conditions, Moldovan railway workers organized protests with an urgent appeal to the government to solve the financial problems.

According to Moldovan media, the CFM's rolling stock includes around 150 locomotives, 120 of which have already reached the end of their service life.

In January, the Moldovan government announced that it would reform the structure of the CFM and set up a commercial operator, CFM Freight and Passengers, while retaining its separate infrastructure branch, which will not be privatized and will be able to receive state subsidies. The budget for this year allocates financial resources to subsidize infrastructure once the reform is complete.

At the beginning of March, the CFM board of directors sent a request to the Public Property Agency to sell several assets, including the Palace of Railway Workers, in order to pay off wages owed to employees.