In this episode of Algeria Tomorrow, we discover how Algeria's expanding rail network is transforming regional connectivity and economic growth.
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00:00In 2020, Algeria decided to increase the speed of its rail network.
00:21A network that in 2023 was expected to cover 5,000 km.
00:24The ambition is to triple this number of kilometers by 2030.
00:28The sector has been hoisted to the rank of strategic sector,
00:31to doping a national economy, the economy of a very vast country.
00:35And to discover all this, I suggest you get on this train with us.
00:43We are more than 500 km southeast of the capital, Algiers,
00:47in the Renschela station.
00:49It is 4.50 am.
00:51Station managers, controllers and technicians are at work.
00:55In 10 minutes, this line, put into service in June 2024,
00:59will take the direction of the Wilaya of Constantine.
01:02A schedule designed for passengers,
01:05because they will arrive at their destination early
01:07and will be able to join their company, their administration or their university.
01:12The train leaves at 13 stations.
01:15For these communes located along the route,
01:17the added economic and commercial value is real,
01:20in addition to the disenclosure of the region.
01:23This service offers a quick and comfortable alternative
01:26to other means of transport.
01:28Citizens gain in sustainable mobility.
01:32I have many friends actually from Renschela
01:35and they take train like me, shortcut for time
01:39and it's more comfortable than taking bus.
01:43The train is the most comfortable and the most punctual.
01:49We make less time to go and sometimes to return
01:54for the market, for daily needs
01:58or to see a doctor or medical consultations.
02:02We have now joined Constantine at an average of 160 km per hour.
02:07The activity begins in the heart of the city.
02:09Train passengers can win their offices.
02:12The strategy privileged by the public authorities
02:14to realize these railway investments
02:17is the adoption of mixed infrastructure,
02:20that is, transport of passengers and freight transport.
02:24In the freight sector, we give importance
02:28to the two strategic ports in the Constantine region,
02:32namely the port of Skikda and Djen Djen.
02:35Today, we provide four day trains, four round trips.
02:40The total weight is almost 11,000 tons.
02:43In addition to the transport of cereals,
02:46the transport of fuel in the Constantine region
02:50has several important points for freight transport.
02:56Thanks to important programs launched over the years,
02:59Algeria thus has a railway network.
03:02It covers a good part of its gigantic territory
03:05and allows to limit the routes.
03:09The country has a total of 4,787 km of lines in operation.
03:142,726 km of new lines are under construction
03:19and for some on the verge of being delivered
03:22and 727 km in duplication.
03:255,000 km are under study
03:27and 2,799 additional km are the subject of new studies.
03:34The railway is a locomotive for the country's economic development.
03:38It will provide north-south connections
03:42through the ports and southern connections of the country
03:45and also from east to west.
03:47All areas of activity will be connected.
03:51We can mention the two mining lines from east to west
03:54for the transport of iron ore and phosphate.
03:57These are structural projects for the country and the region.
04:02We have a priority project, the Alger-Tamanracé crossing.
04:07This crossing is very important nationally and internationally
04:12because it will provide connections
04:16with the different African corridors.
04:19This crossing, which spans more than 2,000 km,
04:23is essential because it will provide mass transport
04:28from the ports to the south
04:30and also a return transport from the south to the north,
04:34be it passenger or freight.
04:40The ultimate goal is to connect all the regions of the country.
04:44This will give a new boost to the commercial, economic
04:49and mobility dynamics at the national level.
04:53This expansion will enable the demolition of removed cities,
04:57promote regional balance
05:00and, of course, increase passenger and freight traffic.
05:07In the southwest of Algiers, the Bouguesoul-Larouate connection
05:11was put into service in October 2023.
05:14It spans 250 km.
05:17This connection, called Penetrante-Centre,
05:20connects the stations of the Northern Arterie of Algeria
05:23to the cities of the northern Sahara of Algeria.
05:28It crosses from north to south the central part of the high plateaus
05:32and the central part of the Sahara Atlas.
05:35A real link between different regions,
05:38but also and above all a catalyst for socio-economic activities.
05:42The daily average is estimated at 400 travelers
05:45and many of them are students.
05:48They go to the Zian Ashour University in Jelfa.
06:15How the roads are being built.
06:18So, yeah, the train was a great opportunity
06:21because it makes us familiar with an easier and safer transportation
06:26and we avoided many accidents that could have happened
06:29in the last four or five years.
06:35I would say it's a good thing.
06:37I have a lot of friends who are students also,
06:40but in another state, they use it quite often.
06:43It's not too expensive.
06:45It's less than the bus, for example, and more convenient.
06:48So, it's better.
06:50I think it's much better than a car, yes.
06:53Also, some families don't have access to cars,
06:56so I think it's, in general, for society, it's better.
06:59On this line, as on others,
07:01modern and comfortable trains have been used.
07:04The aim is to improve the quality of the service to travelers
07:08and the security in passenger and goods transport.
07:17As you can see, the Bouguesoul-Larouate line
07:20is an important step in the realization
07:23of the future penetrating Trans-Saharan center,
07:26with a length of 2,439 km.
07:29It will connect the capital, Algiers, to the city of Sahara
07:33up to the Algerian-Nigerian border.
07:36It is part of a long-term goal
07:39aimed at giving Algerian rail transport
07:42a continental reach.
07:47And it's on this line between Larouate and Bouguesoul
07:50that this episode ends.
07:52We'll meet again very soon in Algeria Tomorrow.