Salary arrears for employees of the state-owned enterprise Moldovan Railways (MRL) have been fully repaid
This was announced at a press conference on Wednesday by Vladimir Bolea, Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development. He clarified that the historical arrears accumulated over several years were cleared at the end of April, and Moldovan Railways can now return to normal operations. "We have transitioned from a financially and operationally blocked enterprise to a functional one that is beginning to show results and become sustainable. At the end of 2024, salary arrears amounted to approximately 144 million lei. By the end of 2025, they were reduced to 49 million lei, and as of April 30, 2026, they reached zero. This means that more than 3,400 employees are receiving their salaries on time," Vladimir Bolea stated, noting that 25% of the company's employees have already received their salaries for April. According to him, paying salaries is a fundamental requirement for any enterprise, and this result was achieved through a process of reorganizing institutional management, adjusting expenses, and focusing on activities and investments in revenue-generating projects to enable the enterprise to function autonomously. In addition to resolving the salary crisis, Moldovan Railways also significantly improved its financial performance. While the company's total revenue in 2024 amounted to 702 million lei, by the end of 2025 it had almost doubled, reaching 1.28 billion lei. This positive trend continued in the first four months of 2026, with the company's revenue amounting to approximately 232 million lei. This growth allowed the company to write off an unprofitable loan of 80 million euros, replacing it with direct investments of 300 million lei from the state budget, intended exclusively for strategic infrastructure. The minister also noted the role of restoring critical infrastructure in diversifying export and import routes. Specifically, a large-scale reconstruction of approximately 4 km of the Vălcinets-Fălciu crossing, equipped with European gauge, is nearing completion and will be officially opened to freight traffic. At the same time, the Cahul-Giurgiulesti railway line near the village of Văleni was restored, where a section damaged by landslides was reconstructed, allowing the resumption of heavy freight train service. The minister emphasized that the Moldovan authorities are taking important steps toward integrating into the EU rail network. Vladimir Bolea also emphasized the strategic importance of constructing the first section of the Iași-Ungheni European electrified railway: 50% of this project is financed by European grants, with the remainder coming from the national budget. According to the head of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development, all these projects and investments will ensure route diversification, reduce the burden on road infrastructure, reduce business costs, and open new opportunities for the Moldovan economy, which will become a major player in freight transit and an international logistics hub. // 06.05.2026 — InfoMarket
