The National Rail Transportation Company (french: Société Nationale des Transports Ferroviaires, abbreviated SNTF; ar, الشركة الوطنية للنّقل بالسّكك الحديدية) is

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

's national

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a p ...

operator. The SNTF, a

state-owned State ownership, also called government ownership and public ownership, is the ownership of an industry, asset, or enterprise by the state or a public body representing a community, as opposed to an individual or private party. Public owne ...

company, currently has a

monopoly A monopoly (from Greek language, Greek el, μόνος, mónos, single, alone, label=none and el, πωλεῖν, pōleîn, to sell, label=none), as described by Irving Fisher, is a market with the "absence of competition", creating a situati ...

over Algeria's rail network of , although it is currently utilising only . Out of the total railway network, are ( of these are

electrified 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 history ...

) and are

narrow gauge A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, smaller structu ...

(as of 2008).

History

The beginnings

The history of the railway in Algeria began with the colonisation of the country by

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. On 8 April 1857, a

decree A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state (such as the president of a republic or a monarch), according to certain procedures (usually established in a constitution). It has the force of law. The particular term used ...

ordered the creation of of railways, beginning with the construction of a standard gauge line from

Algiers Algiers ( ; ar, الجزائر, al-Jazāʾir; ber, Dzayer, script=Latn; french: Alger, ) is the capital and largest city of Algeria. The city's population at the 2008 Census was 2,988,145Census 14 April 2008: Office National des Statistiques d ...

Blida Blida ( ar, البليدة; Tamazight: Leblida) is a city in Algeria. It is the capital of Blida Province, and it is located about 45 km south-west of Algiers, the national capital. The name ''Blida'', i.e. ''bulaydah'', is a diminutive ...

, which started on 12 December, 1859. The French

private company A privately held company (or simply a private company) is a company whose shares and related rights or obligations are not offered for public subscription or publicly negotiated in the respective listed markets, but rather the company's stock is ...

''Compagnie des chemins de fer algériens'' started working on the line with the help of the

French army History Early history The first permanent army, paid with regular wages, instead of feudal levies, was established under Charles VII of France, Charles VII in the 1420 to 1430s. The Kings of France needed reliable troops during and after the ...

on 11 July 1860. Around the same time, the company obtained permission to create an

Oran Oran ( ar, وَهران, Wahrān) is a major coastal city located in the north-west of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria after the capital Algiers, due to its population and commercial, industrial, and cultural ...

- Sig line and a Constantine- Skikda line. However, due to economic difficulties, only the Algiers-Blida line was finished, and it was subsequently opened to the public on 8 September 1862. Afterwards, 5 other companies started the construction of new lines: *''La Compagnie Bône -

Guelma Guelma ( ar, قالمة ''Qālima''; arq, ڨالمة; Algerian pronunciation: ) is the capital of Guelma Province and Guelma District, located in north-eastern Algeria, about 65 kilometers from the Mediterranean coast. Its location correspo ...

'' (''BG'') *''La Compagnie de l'Est Algérien'' (''EA'') (Eastern Algeria) *''La Compagnie Paris - Lyon - Méditerranée'' (''PLM'') *''La Compagnie de l'Ouest Algérien'' (''OA'') (Western Algeria) *''La Compagnie Franco - Algérienne'' (''FA'') Between 1857 and 1878, the following lines (or parts of them) were finished, totalling , which exceeded initial expectations: *Annaba - Berrahal *Annaba - Bouchegouf - Guelma *

El Khroub El Khroub ( ar, الخروب) is a town and commune in Constantine Province, Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital ...

- Oued Zenati *Constantine - Skikda *Constantine -

Sétif Sétif ( ar, سطيف, ber, Sṭif) is the capital of the Sétif Province in Algeria. It is one of the most important cities of eastern Algeria and the country as a whole, since it is considered the trade capital of the country. It is an inner ci ...

*Algiers -

Thénia Thénia (), sometimes written as ''Thenia'', with around 40,000 inhabitants, is the chief town in the daïra of the same name, in the wilaya of Boumerdès, in northern Algeria. Historically, the name is a contraction of ''Theniet Beni Aicha'' (ث� ...

*Algiers - Oran * Arzew - La Macta -

Mohammedia Mohammedia ( ar, المحمدية, al-muḥammadiyya; ber, ⴼⴹⴰⵍⴰ, Fḍala), known until 1960 as Fedala, is a port city on the west coast of Morocco between Casablanca and Rabat in the region of Casablanca-Settat. It hosts the most impo ...

*Mohammadia -

Mécheria Mécheria is a city situated in Naâma Province, Algeria in the Atlas mountains, capital of Mécheria District, known for its cold winter and livestock life. As of 2020, it had a population of around 120,000, making it the most populous commune in ...

Oued Tlélat Oued Tlélat is a town and commune in Oran Province, Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordin ...

- Sidi Bel Abbès

Nationalisation

After 1879, France divided the railway lines being built into categories of ''local interest'' or of ''general interest'', with only the latter being eligible to receive state funding. The 18 July 1879 decree defined the extent of some "general interest" lines and ordered the construction of a further of railways to expand the existing network. Between 1879 to 1906, the following lines (or parts of them) were finished, totalling : * Souk Ahras—

Tébessa Tébessa or Tebessa ( ar, تبسة ''Tibissa'', ''Tbessa'' or ''Tibesti''), the classical Theveste, is the capital city of Tébessa Province region of northeastern Algeria. It hosts several historical landmarks, the most important one being the ...

— Le Kouif—

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

n border * Berrahal— Ramdane Djamel * Ouled Rahmoune— Khenchela * El Guerrah—

Biskra Biskra ( ar, بسكرة ; ; Latin Vescera) is the capital city of Biskra Province, Algeria. In 2007, its population was recorded as 307,987. Biskra is located in northeastern Algeria, about 248 miles (400 km) from Algiers, 71 miles (115&n ...

—

with further lines to include

Tizi Ouzou Tizi Ouzou or Thizi Wezzu (, Kabyle: Tizi Wezzu) is a city in north central Algeria. It is among the largest cities in Algeria. It is the second most populous city in the Kabylie region after Bejaia. History Etymology The name ''Tizi Ouzou' ...

, Béjaia and Sour El-Ghozlane *

—

Berrouaghia Berrouaghia is a town and commune in Médéa Province, Algeria. According to the 1998 census it has a population of 58,780. Notable people * Benyoucef Benkhedda - Algerian politician History Berrouaghia was during the Roman Empire called Tanara ...

Mostaganem Mostaganem ( ber, Mustɣanem; ar, مستغانم) is a port city in and capital of Mostaganem province, in the northwest of Algeria. The city, founded in the 11th century lies on the Gulf of Arzew, Mediterranean Sea and is 72 km ENE of O ...

—

Relizane Relizane or Ghilizan (Arabic: غلیزان; Berber: Ɣilizan) is a city in Algeria. It is the capital city of Relizane Province. Toponymy The name of Relizane comes from the Berber ⵉⵖⵉⵍ ⵉⵣⵣⴰⵏ (Iɣil Izzan) which means “burn ...

—

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 ...

— Arzew *

Es Sénia Es Sénia ( ar, السانية) (formerly La Sénia) is a municipality in Oran Province, Algeria. It is the seat of Es Sénia District Es Sénia is a district in Oran Province, Algeria. It was named after its capital, Es Sénia. Municipalitie ...

— Aïn Témouchent * Sidi Bel Abbès—

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 ...

— Moroccan border * Tabia— Crampel * Méchéria— Béchar *

Tizi Tizi is a town and commune in Mascara Province, Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algiers , coordinates ...

—

Mascara Mascara is a cosmetic commonly used to enhance the upper and lower eyelashes. It is used to darken, thicken, lengthen, and/or define the eyelashes. Normally in one of three forms—liquid, powder, or cream—the modern mascara product has vari ...

In 1946, Algeria's total railway network comprised a total of of active lines, in addition to mine lines, significantly more than the current network. After a while, the private companies were unable to maintain economic stability, which led the French government to buy the ''Franco - Algérienne'', ''Est Algérien'', '' Bône-Guelma'' and ''Ouest Algérien'' in 1900, 1908, 1905 and 1920 respectively. On 27 September 1912, the state-owned ''Compagnie des Chemins de Fer Algériens de l'Etat'' (CFAE) assumed control of all lines, except those owned by the ''Compagnie Paris - Lyon - Méditerranée''. On 1 July 1921, the CFAE and PLM agreed to share the Algerian railway network with the PLM operating the Algiers-Oran, Oran-Aïn Témouchent, Sidi Bel Abbès-Tlemcen-

Oujda Oujda ( ar, وجدة; ber, ⵡⵓⵊⴷⴰ, Wujda) is a major Moroccan city in its northeast near the border with Algeria. Oujda is the capital city of the Oriental region of northeastern Morocco and has a population of about 558,000 people. It ...

-Crampel, Blida-Hassi Bahbah lines (effectively Western Algeria) while the CFAE operated the rest. On 30 May 1938, both companies were incorporated into the newly founded

SNCF The Société nationale des chemins de fer français (; abbreviated as SNCF ; French for "National society of French railroads") is France's national state-owned railway company. Founded in 1938, it operates the country's national rail traffic ...

, which operated all of

's railway network, with the Algerian network becoming a ''région''. On 1 January 1939, the ''Office des Chemins de fer Algériens'' (''Office CFA'') was created, focusing on the Algerian network. On 30 June 1959, an agreement was made between the French government and the OCFA leading to the creation of the ''Société des Chemins de Fer Français en Algérie'' which commenced operations on 1 January 1, 1960. This new company operated Algeria's railways until its replacement by the ''Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Algériens'' ''(SNCFA)'' on 16 June 1963, a year after Algeria's independence.

Post-Independence

On 30 March 1976, the SNCFA split into the following companies: *SNTF, for the operation and maintenance of the lines; *SNERIF, for the renewal and extension of the network; *SIF, for the engineering and modernisation of the infrastructure. This reorganisation was intended to improve the railway network and services in Algeria, however it proved unsuccessful and the two latter companies were reintegrated into the SNTF. In 1980, a convention for the relations between the Algerian state and the SNTF was signed, officially called ''decree N° 88-128 of 28 June 1988''. This convention is still in effect and regulates the

salaries A salary is a form of periodic payment from an employer to an employee, which may be specified in an employment contract. It is contrasted with piece wages, where each job, hour or other unit is paid separately, rather than on a periodic basis. F ...

of the workers and the maintenance of the infrastructure, and bears similarities with the June 1959 convention. In December 1990, the SNTF became an

Établissement Public à caractère Industriel et Commercial An établissement public à caractère industriel et commercial (EPIC; ) is, in France, a category of public undertaking. It includes state-controlled entities of an industrial or commercial nature, including some research institutes and infrastru ...

(EPIC).

Recent investments

Large investment programs were launched after 1980 to improve the Algerian railway network, such as the construction of the

Jijel Jijel ( ar, جيجل), the classical Igilgili, is the capital of Jijel Province in north-eastern Algeria. It is flanked by the Mediterranean Sea in the region of Corniche Jijelienne and had a population of 131,513 in 2008. Jijel is the administr ...

- Ramdane-Djamel line (), the Béni Saf area railway, providing transportation for its

cement A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind sand and gravel (aggregate) together. Cement mixe ...

plant (), and in the Saïda (23 km) and Aïn Touta areas (). In addition to that, about of track were replaced, both the

track ballast Track ballast forms the trackbed upon which railroad ties (sleepers) are laid. It is packed between, below, and around the ties. It is used to bear the load from the railroad ties, to facilitate drainage of water, and also to keep down veget ...

and the railway ties, as well as the duplication of the tracks of the ''Rocade Nord'' in Algiers (about ). Many

train station A train station, railway station, railroad station or depot is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track and a station building providing ...

s all over the country were modernised or even reconstructed, and there were also many improvements to the railways in the vicinities of Algiers and Annaba. A new, separate organisation,

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 ...

, has been created to manage infrastructure investment whilst SNTF concentrates on day-to-day operations. Anesrif has awarded a series of contracts to build new infrastructure and upgrade existing lines, including the construction of a single-track line from

and

Tissemsilt Tissemsilt ( ar, تسمسيلت, Tissamsīlt) is a municipality in Algeria ) , image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Algie ...

, forming part of the High Plateau line.

Rolling stock

As of 2017, SNTF's rolling stock inventory consisted of: * 258

Locomotives A locomotive or engine is a rail transport vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. If a locomotive is capable of carrying a payload, it is usually rather referred to as a multiple unit, motor coach, railcar or power car; the ...

* 10,129

Railway car A railroad car, railcar (American and Canadian English), railway wagon, railway carriage, railway truck, railwagon, railcarriage or railtruck (British English and UIC), also called a train car, train wagon, train carriage or train truck, is a ...

s * 380

Passenger car A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods. The year 1886 is regarded as t ...

s *17 Alstom Coradia *17 CAF TDMD S/599 *64 Stadler Flirt File:SNTF ZZe-02 - Metz - 2018.jpg, Mainline train Alstom Coradia ZZe-02 File:Train Automotor diésel ZZ 2202 de la SNTF (Algérie).jpg, CAF

Regional rail Regional rail, also known as local trains and stopping trains, are passenger rail services that operate between towns and cities. These trains operate with more stops over shorter distances than inter-city rail, but fewer stops and faster serv ...

"Inter-villes" Autorail TDMD S/599 File:Swiss Flirt for SNTF Algeria.jpg,

Commuter rail Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are con ...

Stadler Flirt File:Un train en plein nature.jpg, Locomotive GT36HCW with

passenger cars A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods. The year 1886 is regarded as t ...

File:Train en plein nature -E lAsname Bouira.jpg, Locomotive GT46Ac with cargo

Railway links to adjacent countries

gauge links were built to both

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to A ...

and

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

. However, the land border with Morocco has since been closed.

Affiliations

The SNTF is a member of the following organizations: *

African Union of Railways The African Union of Railways is an organisation under the auspices of the new African Union dealing with railways. It is similar to the International Union of Railways (UIC). Overview Africa's railways are disjointed and disconnected. The AU ...

* Arab Union of Railways * Comité du Transport Ferroviaire Maghrebin (CTFM) (has its headquarters in Algiers) *

International Union of Railways The International Union of Railways (UIC, french: Union internationale des chemins de fer) is an international rail transport industry body. History The railways of Europe originated as many separate concerns, and there were many border chang ...

(UIC)

References and notes

External links

*
EngRailHistory
The Railways of Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria ''(Internet Archive)'' {{DEFAULTSORT:National Company For Rail Transport 1055 mm gauge railways in Algeria Standard gauge railways Algerian brands Companies based in Algiers Railway companies of Algeria Rapid transit in Algeria