At the end of September 2026, a 2039 kilometer steel artery deep in the Sahara Desert in southern Algeria will officially break ground. This railway, which runs directly from the capital Algiers to Tamanrasset, is one of the largest railway projects in the country in recent years. The first 495 kilometer project has entered the bidding stage, driven by Algeria's ambition to break free from oil and gas dependence and build a diversified economy.

Crossing the Sahara in three stages

The Algerian National Railway Authority introduced that the Algiers Tamanracet railway will be constructed in three stages: the first stage is from Ouargra to Insarah, the second stage is from Insarah to Tamanracet, and the third stage is from Tamanracet to Inguizam near the Niger border. The entire route passes through about ten cities, and once completed, it will greatly improve the connectivity between the northern region and the Sahara region, promoting energy and agricultural resource development.

At present, the procurement work for the 495 kilometer Lagwatt Galdaye Ermeniya section is underway to create conditions for the full line to start construction. The project financing mainly comes from the support of the African Development Bank.

Mining Corridor Promotes Economic Transformation

This railway is a core component of Algeria's economic diversification strategy. The country is accelerating the construction of multiple mining projects such as phosphate and iron mines to reduce dependence on oil and gas resources. It is expected that the Brad Hadba phosphate project will begin exporting in March 2027, and the accompanying mining railway will be connected to the Annaba port. At the same time, the Galajebilet iron ore project has also received support through railway and port construction.

This railway will become the backbone of the Trans Saharan Corridor and is expected to extend to surrounding countries, gradually increasing the trade scale between North Africa and the Sahel region, and providing infrastructure support for the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

Collaboration between Chinese enterprises brings new opportunities

This railway project is also an important part of Algeria's railway modernization plan. Algeria plans to expand its national railway network to 15000 kilometers by 2030 and has announced an investment of approximately 2.8 billion US dollars for railway modernization, including infrastructure upgrades, vehicle updates, and service quality improvements. Keywords: Engineering Frontline News Network, Railway Infrastructure

This plan has created new opportunities for Chinese companies to penetrate the North African market. In February 2026, the Algeria West Railway Mining Line project, constructed by China Railway Construction Corporation, was officially opened to traffic. This is the first desert heavy-duty railway built by a Chinese enterprise in Africa, laying a solid foundation for further cooperation between the two sides in regional infrastructure and mineral transportation.Editor/Gao Xue