Austria’s leading construction contractor Strabag announced it will buy all shares in Romanian rail contractor Bawi Construction in a deal the company says will strengthen its position around the world. Europe’s transport infrastructure market.
Based in Bucharest, Bawi generated about $68 million in revenue last year and is expected to add 240 staff members to Strabag’s rail construction division, according to the company’s June 11 press release. The monetary value of the deal, which was expected to close in the third quarter, was not disclosed.
“We see considerable future potential in the Romanian market and therefore aim to further expand our presence there,” said Péter Glöckler. Member of the board of Strabag responsible for south-eastern Europe, in the statement. “With Bawi, we are gaining an excellently positioned company with strong technical expertise and a strong market presence.”
Romania’s rail operations are split between state-owned passenger carrier CFR Călători, freight carrier CFR Marfă and several private companies, including Călători region, Feroviar Român Group, Transferoviar Călători and Softrans. Through Romania’s Transport Program and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, more than $8 billion in national and European Union investments have been allocated to modernize and electrify the country’s aging rail network and increase its operational speed, according to to the International Trade Administration.
Under its construction and modernization services, Bawi says it offers specialized rail work. “The acquisition allows [Strabag] to strategically expand our rail construction activities while strengthening our value chain in a key future market,” added Glöckler.
Strabag is ranked fifth in the 2025 list of the top 250 international ENR contractors, with revenues of more than $17 billion. The 2026 ranking will be published in August.
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