On the Gobi Desert at the edge of the Sahara, the planned railway line is extending along the southern corridor of Algeria towards Tamanracet. On October 12, 2026, the Algerian National Railway Investment Research and Implementation Supervision Bureau ANESRIF officially released the bidding for the construction of the 310 kilometer railway project from Hultel Station to Mulelahesen Station, open to global contractors and consortia. The bidding deadline is November 10, 2026, and the construction of the national level southern railway backbone network in Algeria has entered the substantive contracting stage.

Dual dimensional high threshold clear project admission standards

This bidding has set clear hard indicators at the technical qualification level. Independent bidding enterprises must meet the requirement of completing at least 200 kilometers of new railway or existing railway double track projects since 2010, and provide a formal engineering acceptance certificate for a single section of not less than 100 kilometers. They must also have accumulated experience in railway bridge construction of not less than 800 meters, and the single span of relevant bridges must exceed 30 meters. These requirements directly select leading engineering enterprises with experience in long-distance mainline railway construction and the ability to construct large-span bridges, ensuring the construction quality and landing efficiency of the project from the source.

The requirements for business and financial qualifications are also clear, and independent bidding enterprises and consortium leaders must hold the highest level of professional qualification for public works in Algeria, Level IX, Level 9. The bidding enterprise must achieve an average annual operating revenue of at least 260 billion Algerian dinars, approximately 1.96 billion US dollars, for construction projects in the fiscal years 2023 to 2025. If a consortium model is adopted to participate in bidding, the total annual revenue of all member enterprises needs to reach a total threshold of 1.96 billion US dollars, with the leading enterprise of the consortium having an annual revenue of no less than 1.3 billion US dollars.

The construction of the Southern Corridor unlocks new opportunities for infrastructure development in North Africa

This 310 kilometer railway line is a core component of Algeria's central corridor railway project that runs through the north and south. After connecting to the existing road network to the north, it will directly connect to ports along the Mediterranean coast, and extend southward to cover the mineral rich areas in the south, completely opening up a railway channel for inland resource transportation. In the first three quarters of 2026, investment in Algeria's national transportation infrastructure sector increased by 41% year-on-year, and the overall demand for expanding and upgrading the national railway network is in a period of concentrated release.

Previously, Algeria had set a clear goal of doubling the total length of railways in the country to 10000 kilometers by 2030. The lines that have been tendered and implemented this time are the key nodes in achieving this goal. After the completion of the project, it will significantly reduce the logistics costs of mineral and agricultural products in the southern region, strengthen the economic linkage between the north and south regions, and provide a highly valuable entry point for global leading railway engineering enterprises to enter the core infrastructure market in North Africa. Keywords: railway projects, infrastructure engineering

The railway tracks that are about to be laid on the Gobi Desert are paving a new economic artery for the vast land in southern Algeria, connecting the whole country and the international market.Editor/Cheng Liting