According to the provisions of art. 83 of the Law on the Pre-University Education no. 198/2023:
PUPILS from certified/authorized pre-university education, including those enrolled in pre-university education units registered in the Special Register of pre-university education units, benefit from free domestic rail transport, on all categories of trains (Regio, InterRegio and Intercity), at 2nd class, throughout the calendar year, based on the pupil card/identification card for the current school year.
Providing transport facilities to pupils:
Pupils benefit from:
- free tickets, for all categories of trains, at 2nd class and free reservation fee for trains with a reservation system;
- monthly season-tickets with an unlimited number of free trips, at 2nd class, for all categories of trains.
When travelling by upper class trains or sleeping cars and berth cars, pupils will fully pay the tariff differences and the reservation fee as requested.
Issuance of travel documents (tickets and season-tickets):
a) Free tickets for pupils can be purchased from:
- Ticket offices from railway stations with their own staff and from CFR travel agencies;
- Train staff, when:
- The boarding station is not open for ticket sale;
- Boarding takes place outside the ticket office working schedule;
- The boarding station is not served by CFR Calatori staff;
- The passenger presents a ticket issued on board a train, valid for a train which has arrived in the boarding station for the new train in an interval of up to 15 minutes – under the condition of going to the train staff immediately after boarding the train;
- CFR Călători ticket vending machines (xSell Kiosk) from the stations;
- ONLINE, only after confirming/validating as PUPIL at the ticket offices, which is made only once for each school year, and the issuing of an ID.
b) For monthly passes with 100% discount, with an unlimited number of trips:
- Ticket offices which issue cardboard support tickets, from CFR Călători travel agencies and stations with their own staff;
- Kiosk-type CFR Calatori ticket vending machines from the stations, only after confirming/validating as PUPIL at the ticket offices,
- Apps downloadable on the phone, in the form of a QR code with dynamic elements, only after confirming/validating as PUPIL at the ticket offices
*Confirmation/validation as “pupil” can be requested at any station or CFR Călători travel agency equipped with an electronic issuing system, during their work hours, on the basis of the original note book / pupil ID, which includes pupil’s surname, first name and personal numerical code, stamped for the current school year, or on the basis of the proving certificate issued by the educational institution the pupils belongs to, in original. Confirmation / validation as “pupil” is performed only once per each school year. After confirming / validating as “pupil” and the creation of the online user profile, an ID is issued, on the basis of which the tickets/passes shall be purchased online from the website or from the phone downloadable app.
Necessary Documents for Issuing Tickets/Passes at the Ticket Offices or On Board the Trains:
In order to issue FREE travel documents (tickets and monthly season-tickets) for PUPILS, it is necessary to submit the following documents:
- PUPIL CARD/IDENTITICATION CARD in original, with pupil name, surname, social security number and endorsed by the educational establishment for the current school year;
- or CERTIFICATE confirming the pupil status, issued by the educational establishment of belonging, submitted in original. The certificate must correspond to the model provided in the GD no. 810/2023, as follows:
- or COLLECTIVE CERTIFICATE issued by the educational establishment of belonging, submitted in original. This certificate is used only for pupils traveling in a group. It must correspond to the model provided in the GD no.810/2023, as follows:
There will not be accepted other types/models of certificates for issuing pupil tickets/season-tickets.
Checking documents on board
When checking the legality of train trips, pupils must submit the following:
- free ticket/season-ticket, valid for that train, in original, except for those issued digitally (online)
- an original ID (ID card, passport, residence permit, driver’s license) or birth certificate in original or copy for pupils under 14 years old;
Pupils can submit the original pupil card/identification card instead of the identity document, only if it contains the pupil’s photo and social security number.
Note!
If pupils do not submit on board the previously mentioned documents, they will be considered as not having a ticket/season-ticket and will be treated according to the legislation in force (they will incur the payment of rates established on board – higher than the ticket counter rates, and otherwise they will have to get off the train at the first stop along the route and they will receive a contravention report for the distance already covered). Persons under the age of 14 traveling unaccompanied, in the aforementioned situation, will be handed over to the Police.
According to the provisions of art. XXIX par. (1) of the Emergency Ordinance no.156/ 30.12.2024 published in the Official Gazette no. 1334/ 31.12.2024:
In 2025, by way of derogation from the provisions of art. 128 par. (3) of the Law of Higher Education no. 199/2023, with subsequent amendments and supplements, students enrolled in full-time education programs in accredited higher education institutions, benefit from a 90% reduced fare for domestic rail transport on all 2nd class categories of trains, only on the distance/routes between the place of residence and the place where the higher education institution, at which the student is enrolled, is located.
I. Providing transport facilities for students:
Given the aforementioned legislative provisions, the provision of transport facilities for students will be carried out as follows:
Starting from 1st of January 2025, students enrolled in full-time education programs in accredited higher education institutions in Romania, holding student ID cards for discounted/free transport, issued/endorsed for the current academic year by the respective education institutions, benefit from a 90% reduced fare for the Romanian domestic rail transport on all 2nd class categories of trains, only on the distance/routes between the place of residence and the place where the higher education institution, at which the student is enrolled, is located.
Students can travel by 1st class car or sleeping/berth car by fully paying the fare differences.
ATTENTION! The 90% discount applies including to students with one or both deceased parents, as well as to students from foster care centers or who were in foster care with extended, foster family or with a foster parent.
II. Issuance of tickets and travel passes:
For the travel of students, the following types of tickets are issued only for the distance between the place of residence and the place where the higher education institution at which the student is enrolled is located:
a) tickets with a 90% discount, valid on train/trains and date, for all 2nd class train categories (regio, interregio and intercity);
b) monthly passes with a 90% discount, with an unlimited number of trips on 2nd class regio and interregio/intercity trains, on distances up to 300 km.
III. Purchasing train tickets:
a) Tickets with a 90% reduced fare for students can be purchased from:
- ticket offices of CFR Călători travel agencies and railway stations with their own staff
- on the train, from the train staff, only the tickets valid for the current train and, possibly, for the next connecting train, in the following situations:
- the railway boarding station is not open for sales activity with CFR Călători own staff;
- boarding takes place outside the ticket office working schedule.
- through the online app available on the website www.cfrcalatori.ro, smartphone, as well as from kiosk vending machines of the railway station*.
b) Travel passes with a 90% discount for students can be purchased from:
- tickets offices equipped with an electronic ticket issuing system in CFR Călători travel agencies and railway stations with their own staff.
- through the online app available on the website www.cfrcalatori.ro, smartphone and from kiosk vending machines of the railway station*.
* Tickets can be purchased through the online app available on the website www.cfrcalatori.ro, smartphone and from kiosk vending machines of the railway station, only after confirming the student status and obtaining a student ID from the ticket office.
ATTENTION!
90% discounted tickets for students shall only be issued for the distance/routes between the place of residence and the place where the higher education institution is located, throughout the academic year.
IV. Obtaining a student ID from ticket offices:
It is possible to confirm the student status and obtain a student ID only at ticket offices in railway stations and travel agencies, based on submitting the following original documents:
– Student card for discounted/free transport, valid for the current academic year, which, in addition to the student’s name, surname and Social Security Number, must also mention at “Academic institution” section the city where the faculty, at which the student is enrolled, is located;
– Identity paper: identity card or residence permit.
If the student card for discounted/free transport does not include the city where the academic institution is located or the name of the academic institution contains the city where it is located, but the student is enrolled in a faculty/department that is headquartered in another city, the student will be advised to request the faculty to register the city where it is located.
If two locations of the academic institution are filled in on the student card for discounted/free transport (the university headquarters and a location of the faculty where the student is enrolled), the student will be asked to communicate which of the two locations listed on the card is the location where the classes are held (the student can indicate only one location).
We remind you that student IDs issued for the 2024-2025 academic year, prior to 01.01.2025, are no longer valid (travel tickets cannot be issued based on them through any sales channel).
V. Documents required for issuing tickets at ticket offices and on the train:
a) Student ID card for discounted/free transport, in original, valid for the current academic year, according to the following model:
According to the provisions of the Government Decision no. 811/2023, as amended and supplemented, higher education institutions are authorized and bear full responsibility for the timely distribution and endorsement of student ID cards for discounted/free transport.
b) Original identity papers or residence permit
ATTENTION! Train tickets shall not be issued based on other documents (passports, driving licenses, etc.).
VI. Checking documents on the train:
Students will submit, on the train, the original student card for discounted/free transport valid for the current academic year and the discounted travel document (ticket, pass), purchased from the ticket offices/ kiosk vending machines. Tickets purchased online can be submitted on the train either digitally (as an electronic pdf document) or printed on paper with a QR code and online passes available through the downloadable app can only be submitted electronically on the device it is paired with.
Attention!
If students do not submit onboard the previously mentioned documents or submit other documents issued by the higher education institutions of belonging, they will be considered as not having a ticket and will be treated according to the legislation in force (they will bear the payment of prices established onboard – higher than the ticket office prices, and otherwise they will have to get off the train at the first stop along the route and they will receive a contravention report for the distance already covered).
