ns from western
Walachia to northern Moldavia. Feeder lines and branches connected to
it, but there was little early construction in the marshy areas near the
Danube River, and only one bridge, at Cernavoda, crossed it.
Transylvania, not yet part of the country, was linked to the old
provinces by only one line across the Carpathians. Total route mileage
was about 2,200 miles.

Hungary had developed lines connecting Budapest with Transylvania and
branch lines within that province. When the area was annexed in 1918,
Romania inherited the existing railroads and set about linking them more
advantageously with the rest of the country. Most of the modern system
was completed by 1938, but route mileage was increased by about another
10 percent after World War II. Late construction included another bridge
over the Danube River, this time at Giurgiu, south of Bucharest (see
fig. 4).

The system probably attained its maximum mileage in 1967, when it
totaled almost 6,900 route-miles, all but about 400 of them standard
gauge. About ten miles of line were retired during 1968 and 1969, and
other little-used feeder lines will probably be abandoned as it becomes
more practical to carry small loads over short distances by truck.

Railroads transported nearly ten times as much freight in 1969, measured
in ton-miles, as did the highways. Their average load was carried a
greater distance, however, and motor transport actually handled a larger
volume of cargo (see table 2). During 1969 the railroads also carried
over 300 million passengers, for an average trip distance of thirty-two
miles.

The Romanian State Railroads, directed by the Ministry of
Transportation, operates all but a few minor lines and, in 1969, had
about 147,000 employees. As steam locomotives are retired, they are
being replaced by diesels. Only a little more than 100 route-miles have
been electrified. Officials expect that roads and motor vehicles will
take increasing percentages of short-haul cargo and short-trip
passenger traffic. Airlines may cut somewhat into the long-distance
passenger traffic, but the railroads are expected to remain important
for both their freight and passenger services.

[Illustration: _Figure 4. Romanian Transportation System._]

_Table 2. Use of Transportation Facilities in Romania, 1950, 1960, and
1969_

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Total Freight Ton-Mi