Bucharest airport link could transport passengers in 3 years

Ludovic Orban, Minister for Transport, has told ZIARUL FINANCIAR that the proposed project to link the Gara de Nord (Bucharest North Railway Station) and Otopeni Airport could cost around 200 million euros and take three years to complete. “The value of the project will be more accurate after our present feasibility survey is completed, however, I think the value will stand at around 200 million euros, which is five times less than the project proposed by Bucharest City Hall,” Ludovic Orban said. The creation of an infrastructure to link Bucharest to the Otopeni area has caused a dispute between Bucharest City Hall and the Transport Ministry, with each institution proposing individual projects. On the one hand, the General Council of the City Hall has recently voted to construct a new metro line between Piata Victoriei and Otopeni, which is evaluated at some 1.1 billion euros and set for completion in seven years. On the other hand, the Minister of Transport has suggested that the railway line, which is already in use to transport aircraft fuel to Otopeni airport, should be converted into a passenger transportation rail link. The proposed rail link will start from Gara de Nord, and require a two-kilometre extension.
“The necessary period of preparation for this project, from the feasibility survey to the tender, will be one year, while the actual construction could take around two years,” Orban added.