Astra Vagoane Calatori closes 100m-euro contracts

Arad-based Astra Vagoane Calatori (Astra Passenger Carriages), a company which has broken up from the Astra group of firms, estimates a 60 million-euro turnover in 2008, compared with 45 million euros estimated for this year. “Export continues to play a very important part for us, both in terms of our current contracts, and in terms of new contracts we have closed, with delivery deadlines starting in 2008, worth 100 million euros,” said Ovidiu Bologea, foreign relations adviser within the company. Currently, exports fetch around 40% of the Arad-based company’s turnover. Currently, at the end of 2007, Astra delivers double as much carriages as in 2005, according to company data. Starting this year, Astra Vagoane Calatori produces a new class of carriages, meant to be used for Express trains of CFR Calatori (the passenger branch of the National Railway Company), the most important domestic client of the Arad-based producer.