ALGERIA: Tracklaying on the 135 km priority section of the 575 km Western Mining Railway heavy haul line was completed on July 7.
The line being built by China Railway Construction Corp and local partner Cosider Travaux Publics will run from the existing railhead at Béchar into the Sahara to serve the Gara Djebilet iron mine in Tindouf province. CRCC said it was the largest infrastructure project that Chinese companies have undertaken in the country.
Construction began in December 2023, with the workers facing extreme temperatures, an arid climate and challenging terrain. CRCC said the project team had developed Algeria’s first comprehensive standards for desert heavy haul railways, and integrated Chinese and Algerian railway technologies including ‘cutting-edge’ Chinese track laying and rail welding techniques and an automated sleeper manufacturing facility.
Up to 3 million tonnes of ore per annum is due to be shipped from the mines by the end of 2026.
