The project to connect Algiers to Tamanrasset in the far south of Algeria by train is taking shape. The first groundbreaking ceremonies for the sections of this over 2,000 km railway line that have not yet been constructed will take place this year.
This was announced by Lakhdar Rekhroukh, the Minister of Public Works and Basic Infrastructure, on Saturday, February 8, during a press conference on the sidelines of a meeting with his department’s executives.
This will be the third major rail project Algeria is set to undertake in 2025, following the rail lines connecting Gara Djebilet (Tindouf) to Béchar over 950 km, and Djebel Onk (Tébessa) to Annaba for the transport of iron ore and phosphate, respectively. These last two were launched in 2023 and will be completed soon.
Algiers-Tamanrasset Rail Line: What Remains to be Done
“The project linking the northern and southern provinces, which President Abdelmadjid Tebboune considers of paramount importance, will be launched this year,” stated Mr. Rekhroukh, according to the official APS agency.
The Algiers-Tamanrasset rail line extends over 2,039 km and crosses 10 provinces of the country, according to the technical data sheet from the National Agency for Rail Investments (Anesrif). Some sections of this line are already operational.
Others are under study, particularly the part connecting Blida to Boughezoul, which is the most challenging due to the crossing of the Chiffa gorges, a mountainous area where constructing a railway will require significant investment.
The Minister of Public Works specified that the Algiers-Tamanrasset train project will begin in the “coming days” with the section connecting Boughezoul to Ksra El Boukhari in the Médéa province.
Work on other sections will start in 2026, he said, without providing further details. The cost of this project has not been disclosed.
According to Anesrif, 250 km of the Algiers-Tamanrasset rail line are already in use, 639 km have been finalized in terms of studies, while studies for 1,050 km are ongoing.
The currently operational lines are those connecting Algiers to Blida over 68 km, and Boughezoul to Laghouat over 250 km. In total, there are 1,689 km left to build to allow the train to connect Algiers to Tamanrasset.
Specifically, this involves constructing a line between Blida and Boughezoul or rehabilitating the existing line, and another connection between Laghouat and Tamanrasset.
Algeria: The Rail Network Will Reach Nearly 15,000 km
In this project, the Blida-Boughezoul line is the most strategic as it will not only allow the train from Algiers to continue its route towards Tamanrasset but also connect the capital to the High Plateaus rail loop.
With the construction of the Algiers-Tamanrasset line, the Algerian railway network will reach a total length of nearly 10,000 km, according to Rekhroukh. Currently, Algeria’s railway network spans 4,737 km.
This length will increase to 6,820 km with the commissioning of new lines in the east by 2027 and in the extreme southwest “probably in 2025”, before reaching 9,896 km after the rail link between Algiers and Tamanrasset is operational, as per the minister. Eventually, Algeria will have 15,000 km of rail tracks, added the minister.
