Romanian Train Passengers Complain of Border Delays Despite Full Schengen Accession

Extended Waiting Times at the Romanian-Hungarian Border Continue to Frustrate Passengers.

Despite Romania's full accession to the Schengen Zone on January 1, 2025, train passengers traveling to Hungary still experience significant delays at border crossings.

A trip from Timișoara to Budapest takes about six and a half hours, sparking complaints among travelers, Schengen.News reports.

Romania’s National Railway Company (CFR) has acknowledged the issue and stated that waiting times will be reduced once a solution is found.

Border Waiting Times Remain Unchanged Despite Schengen Accession

While land border controls were officially abolished, many passengers report that waiting times have not improved.

According to Kronika Online, the journey from Timișoara to Budapest still takes more than six hours, with delays at the Romanian-Hungarian border reaching 90 minutes.

One passenger, Flavius Sebastian, who frequently travels to Budapest, said he expected faster processing times after Romania joined Schengen. However, the waiting period remains the same.

"Before Schengen, border police checked travel documents and conducted technical inspections, which took about 90 minutes. Now, even after accession, the waiting time is unchanged," he said.

Sebastian noted that at the Kürtös-Lőkösháza border crossing, the train stands idle for an hour and a half, even though changing locomotives takes no more than 15 minutes.

Another issue is the speed of travel on the Romanian side:
- Between Timișoara and Arad, trains run at 20 km/h due to track maintenance.
- From Arad to the border (Kürtös), speed increases to 130 km/h.
- In Hungary, electric locomotives operate smoothly at 120 km/h.

CFR Promises to Find a Solution & Reduce Delays

When asked for an explanation, Romania’s National Railway Company (CFR) responded that the train schedule is updated once a year. The current timetable was finalized in December, when Romania’s Schengen accession decision was still pending.

CFR explained that border delays (including at crossings Episcopia Bihor, Curtici, Valea lui Mihai, and Giurgiu) are due to locomotive changes and technical checks.

“Once a possible solution to shorten waiting times is found, it will be considered,” CFR officials said.

According to Romanian border police, in January 2025, a total of 260,000 border checks were conducted. Additionally, 140 crimes and over 100 offenses were registered in Romania in its first full month of Schengen accession.