ALGERIA: Work has started on construction of a Heavy haul railway in the southwest of the country which will extend the national network by 575 km.
On April 9, lead contractor China Railway Construction Corp and local partner Cosider Travaux Publics began civil works on the route running southwest from the existing railhead at Béchar into the Sahara desert. Known as the Western Railway Mining Line, the long-proposed railway is intended to serve the Gara Djebilet iron ore mine in Tindouf province and the Dumiat Industrial Zone in Béchar.
The railway will feature more than 40 stations, sidings and loops to support the operation of iron ore trains. Gara Djebilet is described as one of the largest iron ore reserves in the world, with deposits estimated at 3·5 billion tonnes.
According to CRCC, the railway is expected to be completed within 30 months from the start of civil works. Up to 3 million tonnes of ore per annum is due to be shipped from the mines by the end of 2026.
