What is the current status of the local domestic trains in Moldova?

[capitalconnect]

It looked just like the one in post #25 but less shabby. Wooden bench seats on the inside.

That does sound like one of the original D1 trains then. I wonder what has happened in the past few years to cause these D1 trains to get in such bad condition. I guess maybe corona virus has stopped a lot of the maintenance. Although i remember when i was last in Moldova the conditions varied a lot by unit. One unit i went on was in quite a decent condition while another unit i used the next day looked like it was falling apart.

 

[Cloud Strife]

Can i also ask what is the current status of stations in Chisinau? From looking on Open Street Maps it shows Chisinau 1 (the main large station where all trains leave from) as well as Chisinau 2 and Chisinau 3 (Chisinau 3 is actually two stations with one serving the Northbound direction and one serving the Southbound direction) both located between Chisinau 1 and Revaca stations? Can anyone confirm if Chisinau 2 and Chisinau 3 are both still in use? If so i would presume that local trains still call at Chisinau 2 and then Chisinau 3 stations after leaving the main station?

It looks to me (but I can't confirm) that Chisniau-1 and Chisinau-3 are in use, but Chisinau-2 is not in any sort of passenger use. There's nothing online about it being used, and I can't even find any evidence of it existing as a passenger station.

Something else as well: I'm not convinced that the trains are only operating to Bender-3. I've found some evidence that Bender-2 is in use for Chisinau trains - so I suspect what's happening is that trains are stopping at Bender-3 (for people travelling to the government-controlled side of Bender), while they terminate at Bender-2 for people who don't mind going through Transnistrian border control. There's also a picture here of some Moldovan-flagged train in Bender-2, adding to this theory.

 

[capitalconnect]

It looks to me (but I can't confirm) that Chisniau-1 and Chisinau-3 are in use, but Chisinau-2 is not in any sort of passenger use. There's nothing online about it being used, and I can't even find any evidence of it existing as a passenger station.

Something else as well: I'm not convinced that the trains are only operating to Bender-3. I've found some evidence that Bender-2 is in use for Chisinau trains - so I suspect what's happening is that trains are stopping at Bender-3 (for people travelling to the government-controlled side of Bender), while they terminate at Bender-2 for people who don't mind going through Transnistrian border control. There's also a picture here of some Moldovan-flagged train in Bender-2, adding to this theory.

That is interesting to see. That is the first evidence of any train running from Chisinau to Bender 2 that i have seen. Perhaps you are right and they do stop at both stations. If the timetable is showing it goes to Chisinau 2 than it must be correct. But if they are able to run to Bender 2 it makes me wonder why they do not extend it the short distance to Tiraspol which is the major city.

However i think that the photo that you found of that Moldovan flag D1M train at Bender 2 is actually the Chisinau to Odesa train. I do not think that it is just the Chisinau to Bender train. As the Chisinau to Odesa train always used to be run by a Moldovan flag D1M train and it would always stop at Bender 2 and Tiraspol so i think that is what the photo is of. I think the train that just terminates at Bender is normally an older D1 train.

As for Chisinau 2 it definitely exists. If you look on the Google Satellite you can see platforms at Chisinau 2 so passenger trains must have stopped at Chisinau 2 at some point. As otherwise the platforms would not have been built. I wonder if it is an unadvertised station but trains still call there or if no trains currently stop there at all. Also note that Google Maps is very incorrect and shows Chisinau 3 in the wrong place. However the Open Street Maps is correct.

 

[Cloud Strife]

I may have found some evidence of trains running to Bender-2 here. It's a YouTube video entitled "Diesel train D1-709 on the route Bender 2 - Chisinau" - although I cannot find any evidence for these D1 trains actually serving Transnistria. I suspect that there's some local politics at play here, as there's plenty of videos showing freight trains arriving in Bender-2, but nothing showing any D1 passenger trains arriving.

With other evidence showing that Moldova has talked about the *possibility* of serving Bender-2 or Tiraspol, it makes me think that these trains have never actually reached Bender-2. I think you're right that the train shown is the Odessa train, which is known to serve Bender-2. So, I suspect this is possibly a political thing in the Chisinau-1 station by showing Bender-2 as the destination, although the train doesn't actually reach there. If you look in the online timetables on the Moldovan Railways website, Bender-3 is served by a completely different train to Bender-1.

So, as far as I can work out: domestic services operate from Chisinau-1 to Bender-3 via Chisinau-3, while international services go from Chisinau-1 to Bender-2 without stopping at Bender-3 or Chisinau-3.

The whole thing seems rather silly, especially as the border is wide open anyway.

But if they are able to run to Bender 2 it makes me wonder why they do not extend it the short distance to Tiraspol which is the major city.

It all seems very strange there. There's nothing preventing them from running services to/from Tiraspol, and there's at least one book on Google that states that (after the war) multiple trains were running from Tiraspol/Bender to Chisinau and back without problems.

In terms of Chisinau-2 - is it possible that it's in use for freight purposes? It would explain the platforms and the lack of any sign of passenger use.

 

[class26]

Ukraine has declared that it will not impose another lockdown, and that it will not restrict travel for foreigners. I highly recommend a visit, it was refreshing and enjoyable.

Lockdown in Odessa starting today apparently

 

[Richard Scott]

I believe the Chisinau to Bucharest train is supposed to restart soon, is this correct?

 

[Richard Scott]

I believe the Chisinau to Bucharest train is supposed to restart soon, is this correct?

Answering my own question looks like this is running Thursdays and Sundays in this direction.