Romanian rail operator Ferotrans TFI has signed an agreement with Israel Railways (IR) to purchase 33 IC3 diesel trains for a total of $1.5 million. These three-car trains, built for IR in the 1990s, will find new life in Romania.

As part of its railway modernization program, IR decommissioned the last IC3 train in November 2023, replacing the model with newer ones. The retired IC3s will now be shipped to Romania by sea from the port of Haifa. They are expected to be used for passenger transport in the Iași area in eastern Romania.

Developed in the 1980s by ABB Scandia in cooperation with Danish State Railways (DSB), the IC3s are modern diesel trains capable of reaching speeds of up to 180 km/h. Thanks to their two powerful 400-hp diesel engines, located in the end cars, these trains can operate effectively even on non-electrified lines.