CFR Class TEA

The CFR Class TEA was a small series of Electric Multiple Units (trains) manufactured in Romania from 1974 to 1986. Due to its rarity, not much is known about this trainset.

They were built Electroputere (electric equipment) and Întreprinderea de Vagoane Arad (railway cars) with the help of the Technological Institute of Research and Designing of Transports in Bucharest.

In the mid-70s, the Romanian Railways was looking for an EMU train design that would replace conventional engine-towed local train consists, and also to work for a possible project that would envisage a regional railway network around Bucharest. The project took shape around 1972-1973, being built in 1974.

The prototype was derived from the regional passenger cars named "Bonzana" among the travellers, that were made by the IVA factory. The whole trainset was fitted with Minden-Deutz bogies, especially the motor bogies, and the electric equipment was made together by Škoda and Electroputere and it used thyristors.[1]

It featured a destination board, open-able from the cab, where a cardboard plaque would be placed showing the route of the train, toilets and curtains. During 10 years of testing the train was heavily modified, mostly of electrical nature. The prototype was rarely used on Bucharest to Brașov duties, but also on Bucharest to Craiova or to Călărași trains too. It was withdrawn in the late 1990s. In the old CFR classification it was given the numbers 080-TEA-001/002.[2]

Series production started in 1984 but only eight of such multiple units were made.[3] These were mostly used by the Cluj regional division for services between Cluj and Teiuș or Dej, but also by the Craiova regional division for trains between Craiova and Motru or Târgu Jiu and by the Bucharest regional division for trains to Călărași. In the new classification they were referred to as the following:

• 55 00xx, motor driving car, second class, without pantograph
• 56 00xx, motor cabless car, second class, with pantograph
• 57 00xx, trailer car, first class, without pantograph
• 57 00xx, trailer car, second class, without pantograph
• 56 00xx, motor cabless car, second class, with pantograph
• 55 00xx, motor driving car, second class, without pantograph

Whilst officially they were known as the RES 1870 kW by the Electroputere, where RES stood for "Suburban Electric Multiple Unit" (Ramă Electrică Suburbană).

Another prototype was realized in 1991, which had stronger traction motors of 2870 kW overall.[4] But all these units were plagued with brake and electrical equipment issues, so after the 1990s they were quickly retired, in favour of CFR Class EA-pulled local trains. Nowadays the only remaining example is the 1991 prototype, although a few cars of the series production trainsets were known to have survived years ago.