Nikolai Myndra
“Last year, nearly 1,500 people were laid off at CFM. This was justified, in part, by the current volume of freight and passengers handled by the railway, as well as by the reduction in the assets required to maintain it. We have many historic depots in Moldova that are currently unused, but there were still staff at these locations ready to provide services, which is illogical. “Thus, this optimization was carried out in strict accordance with the services the railway provides today,” the official clarified.
Nevertheless, as of February 13, 2026, the company had accumulated massive debts to the state social insurance budget: the principal debt amounts to over 75.3 million lei, plus penalties totaling over 40.7 million lei. In addition, the debt on health insurance contributions amounts to over 67 million lei, to which penalties of over 22.6 million lei are added.
On Thursday, June 11, Parliament passed a bill in its first reading that would allow passenger rail transport to receive co-financing from the state budget to help alleviate traffic congestion in certain regions of the country.
The document also contains provisions for the conclusion of a long-term contract for the management of railway infrastructure, as well as a contract for the provision of public passenger transport services. These measures are necessary to allocate the sum of 300 million lei provided for in the 2026 State Budget Law.
The initiative is part of the process of harmonizing national legislation with European Union standards and fulfilling the commitments undertaken by the Republic of Moldova as part of the EU accession process. The draft law will be submitted to Parliament for consideration in the second reading.
