The High Plateau line is a network of railway lines under construction across

Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , relig ...

. The project is managed by

Anesrif Anesrif ( ar, و.و.د.م.ا.ا.س.ح) is a transport business created by the government of Algeria, to expand and modernise the Algerian railway system. Name Anesrif's full name, in French, is ''Agence nationale d’études et de suivi de la ...

Route

The route runs 1200 km from Tebessa in the east to Moulay Slissen in the west, via

Tiaret Tiaret ( ar, تاهرت / تيارت; Berber: Tahert or Tihert, i.e. "Lioness") is a major city in northwestern Algeria that gives its name to the wider farming region of Tiaret Province. Both the town and region lie south-west of the capital o ...

and

M'Sila M'sila (also spelled Msila) ( ar, المسيلة); is the capital of M'Sila Province, Algeria, and is co-extensive with M'sila District. It has a population of 132,975 as per the 2008 census. M'sila University is also located in this city. Hist ...

, through a sparsely populated area bordering the Atlas mountains and the Sahara. Eighteen new passenger stations are planned. This route incorporates some elements of the existing rail network which will be connected by 630 km of new lines. Most of Algeria's existing rail network is further north, along the coast. So the "inland" route allows traffic to bypass the main Rocade Nord route through

Constantine Constantine most often refers to: * Constantine the Great, Roman emperor from 306 to 337, also known as Constantine I *Constantine, Algeria, a city in Algeria Constantine may also refer to: People * Constantine (name), a masculine given name ...

, Algiers, and Oran. This project is hand in hand with

's other plans to improve Algeria's 4000 km of existing railways. A further stretch of railway will run from

Tlemcen Tlemcen (; ar, تلمسان, translit=Tilimsān) is the second-largest city in northwestern Algeria after Oran, and capital of the Tlemcen Province. The city has developed leather, carpet, and textile industries, which it exports through the p ...

to a new station at Maghina and then to the Moroccan border at Akid Abbas. The border with Morocco has been sealed since 1994, but there is pressure to reopen the border to travellers.

Specification

The route is mostly being built for running; the line near the Moroccan border is designed for higher speeds. The line is standard gauge (even though it crosses some existing gauge lines) and mostly single-track. There is provision for 25 kV

electrification Electrification is the process of powering by electricity and, in many contexts, the introduction of such power by changing over from an earlier power source. The broad meaning of the term, such as in the history of technology, economic histor ...

in the future.

GSM-R GSM-R, Global System for Mobile Communications – Railway or GSM-Railway is an international wireless communications standard for railway communication and applications. A sub-system of European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS), it is us ...

will be used for communications.

Project

The project is being managed by

, an Algerian state agency which is undertaking several large projects to revitalise railways and build new infrastructure. Anesrif has awarded contracts to various consortia. Once in operation, new lines will be operated by

SNTF The National Rail Transportation Company (french: Société Nationale des Transports Ferroviaires, abbreviated SNTF; ar, الشركة الوطنية للنّقل بالسّكك الحديدية) is Algeria's national railway operator. The SNTF ...

. *In May 2010, a contract was awarded to build a 185 km section of railway from Tissemsilt-Tiaret-Relizane, for 160 km/h running; it is designed with future electrification in mind. *In March 2011, Anesrif awarded a contract to build the railway from Tlemcen to the Moroccan border. *As of March 2011, Alstom was already constructing the 120 km section between

Saida Saida may refer to: Places * Saïda, Algeria, a city in Algeria * Saïda Province, a province of Algeria * Saida, Lebanon, the Arabic name for Sidon, a city in Lebanon * Saida, a village in Helan, Mandi Bahauddin, Punjab province, Pakistan * Sai ...

and Moulay Slissen. *Work was expected to begin on the 153 km Saida-Tiaret line in the summer of 2011.

Development

The east-west High Plateau line incorporates some elements of existing Algerian lines, although away from the coast, existing infrastructure has mostly been north–south. *The Tebessa-Annaba line largely operates independently, hauling iron ore and phosphates to a port on the coast; there have been proposals to spin it off as a private concession. *There was already a line from Ain M'lilla to Barika, part of an oil export chain from

Touggourt Touggourt ( ar, ﺗﻗﺮت or تڤرت; ber, ⵜⵓⴳⵓⵔⵜ, Tugurt, lit=the gateway or 'the gate') is a city and commune, former sultanate and capital of Touggourt District, in Touggourt Province, Algeria, built next to an oasis in the Sa ...

, developed by

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

during the colonial era. As existing railways in Algeria are poorly utilised, despite expensive investments in the past, there have been concerns about the authorities' ability to manage capacity appropriately. Away from the coast, Algeria is sparsely populated, although cities are expected to grow as a result of improved infrastructure; this has already happened in

References

External links

Anesrif

SNTF

ERTMS in Algeria
{{coord missing, Algeria Railway lines in Algeria Buildings and structures under construction in Algeria