When oil and gas revenue is no longer the only reliance, Algeria chooses to rewrite its national destiny with steel. A 2039 kilometer railway running through the Sahara is moving from blueprint to construction site, carrying not only North South connectivity, but also the determination of a North African country to break free from resource dependence and embrace diversity.

Three sections connecting the Sahara

The Algerian President has approved the timetable for the Algiers Tamanrasset railway project, which is scheduled to start construction by the end of September 2026 and be put into operation in 2028. The total length of the route is about 2039 kilometers, passing through about ten cities and advancing in three stages: from Ouargra to Insarah, from Insarah to Tamanrasset, and from Tamanrasset to Inguizam near the Niger border.

At present, the first phase of the 495 kilometer Lagwatt Galdaye Ermeniya section has entered the bidding stage, with financing mainly coming from the African Development Bank. After completion, it will become the backbone of the Trans Saharan Corridor, expected to extend to neighboring countries, enhance trade connectivity between North Africa and the Sahel region, and support the construction of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

Intensifying the modernization of railways

This railway is the core support of Algeria's economic diversification strategy. The country is accelerating the development of mineral resources such as phosphate and iron ore to reduce its dependence on oil and gas. The Brad Hadba phosphate project is expected to start exporting in March 2027, and the supporting mining area railway will connect to the Annaba port; The Galajebilet iron ore project has also received support for railway and port construction. Keywords: railway infrastructure, Algiers railway

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 modernization, covering infrastructure upgrades, vehicle updates, and service improvements. Chinese companies have already taken the lead in this track. In February 2026, the Western Algeria Railway Mining Line, constructed by China Railway Construction Corporation, was fully opened to traffic. This is the first desert heavy-duty railway in Africa, laying a solid foundation for deep cooperation between the two sides in regional infrastructure and mineral transportation.Editor/Cheng Liting