The city waiting five years for a new train station; old building demolished without permit

The city of Deva in Romania is still waiting for its new train station, a project that has been stalled for five years. The situation has been further complicated by the unauthorized demolition of the old passenger building in 2024, which left a gaping hole where the station once stood.

Despite the controversy surrounding the demolition, which lacked the required permits, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure has issued a new construction permit on June 24, 2026. This document allows for the resumption of the project, which includes acknowledging the previously unauthorized interventions and continuing the construction. The authorized works are valued at 31.34 million lei, excluding VAT.

This new authorization has also drawn criticism. Mara Paraipan, a former integrity whistleblower at the Ministry of Transportations, has raised concerns that the procedure did not comply with Law no. 50/1991. She argued that demolishing a structure requires a demolition permit issued before work begins, and that the new document attempts to legalize work already executed without authorization.

Work on the passenger building initially began in 2021 under a permit for rehabilitation and partial super-elevation. The original project included amenities such as waiting rooms, restrooms, commercial spaces, and ticket offices. The station has been a construction site for years, with the demolition of the passenger building in 2024 marking a significant, albeit controversial, step in the long-delayed process.

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Se autorizează lucrările de construire în conformitate cu D.T.A.C. nr. FAC/S0586/25 din 2 septembrie 2025, parte scrisă și desenată, vizată și ștampilată spre neschimbare ca parte integrantă a prezentei autorizații.