Algeria is fast-tracking efforts to modernize and expand its railway infrastructure, unveiling plans to double its national network from 5,000 kilometers to 10,000 kilometers by 2030.
The initiative was underscored during a high-level meeting in Algiers between Abdelkader Djellaoui, Minister of Public Works and Basic Infrastructure, and African Development Bank (AfDB) President Sidi Ould Tah.
Officials say the expansion will transform Algeria’s domestic connectivity, strengthen economic links between the industrial north and mining-rich south, and advance regional integration across Africa.
Strategic Rail Corridors
East Mining Line (Annaba–Djebel El Onk, Tébessa), a 422 km route under modernization, including 297 km of double-tracking and 152 km slated for launch. The upgrades are vital for boosting phosphate exports.
While West Mining Line (Oran–Gara Djebilet, Tindouf) 1,650 km corridor connecting southwestern mining basins to the port of Oran. The Oran–Béchar section (700 km) is operational after renovation, while the remaining 950 km to Gara Djebilet is under construction.
The National Agency for Railway Investment Studies and Monitoring (ANESRIF) is overseeing the projects, deploying 700 specialists — 70 percent of them engineers and economists — to ensure technical and economic rigor.
AfDB President Sidi Ould Tah praised Algeria’s momentum, noting: “These achievements inspire pride,” and emphasized the role of the investments in strengthening African integration.
