Runaway Train

New lines
Many new train lines were planned throughout Algeria, as
we reported in 2014, and since then there has been varying
degrees of progress across these projects. Some of the more
notable developments are set out below:
Djelfa to Laghouat (110 km)
ANESRIF awarded the ESTEL joint venture a contract to
supply signalling and telecoms for the 108 km Djelfa to
Laghouat line in September 2012. The line was originally
scheduled to open in 2015, however we are unaware of any
official notification that construction has even started. 113
Djelfa to Boughezoul (140 km)
In early 2013 it was reported that a 48-month, USD1.7m,
contract for engineering and design works for the new 140
km line between Djelfa and Boughezoul was awarded to a
Portuguese consortium comprising TPF Planege and Refer.
There are also reports that local Algerian company COSIDER
Travanx Publiques was awarded the construction work for
the line.
Mecheria to El Bayadh (130 km)
ANESRIF also awarded the ESTEL joint venture a contract
to supply signalling and telecoms for the line under
construction between Méchéria and El Bayadh. The line was
scheduled to open in late 2015, with five stations and a speed
of 160 km/h, but, as with the above-mentioned projects,
there have been no more recent updates as to the progress
of the construction.
High Plateaux Line (1,200 km)
The High Plateaux Line is planned to run 1,200 km from
Tebessa in the east to Moulay Slissen in the west, via Tiaret
and M’Sila, through a sparsely populated area bordering the
Atlas Mountains and Sahara desert. Along with the new line,
18 passenger stations were planned.
In 2010, ANESRIF awarded a joint venture of Spanish firm
FCC and Algerian company ETRHB Haddad a contract worth
almost USD1.12bn to build 185 km of the High Plateaux
Line between Relizane, Tiaret and Tissemsilt. In the same
year, a circa USD460m contract was awarded to Italian
company, Astaldi (as part of a joint venture) also in relation
to construction of the High Plateaux Line. The contract was
a 36-month contract and covers a line on the Saida to Tiaret
route.
ANESRIF awarded the contract to supply the electronic
train control system for 290 km of the High Plateaux Line
to the ESTEL joint venture. Siemens stated that its share of
the contract, which was announced in July 2011, was worth
approximately USD150m.
Construction began in 2011 and was originally scheduled to
complete by 2014. After several delays, the new line was rescheduled
to become operational in 2016. It is not yet open
and the status of the project is undetermined.
52 Runaway train | January 2017