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Algeria opens tender for 341km southern rail section

Algeria opens tender for 341km southern rail section

Built World

Algeria's public works ministry met contractors on 20 October to finalise worksite preparations, with the line targeted for service by the end of 2028.

October 20th, 2026: Ministry meets contractors to finalise worksite preparations

Overview

Updated Oct 20

Algeria has invited contractors to bid on a 341-kilometer railway section through the Sahara, along the El-Menea–In Salah–Tamanrasset corridor. On 20 October 2026, Public Works Minister Abdelkader Djelloui chaired a meeting to finalise preparations for starting work on the wider Laghouat–El Menia–In Salah–Tamanrasset line.

The meeting drew ANESRIF, state builders Infra Rail, Cosider, SNTP and Infrafer, and the Chinese firms CRCC and CCECC. Attendees reviewed four sections: Laghouat–Ghardaïa (265 km), Ghardaïa–El Menia (230 km), El Menia to the 216-kilometre point, and Tamanrasset–Moulay Lahcen (213 km). The government says trains should reach Tamanrasset by the end of 2028; it aims to grow the network from 6,000 to 15,000 kilometers by 2030.

Why it matters

If completed, the corridor would link Algeria's Sahara mineral and farm regions to Mediterranean ports and open a rail route toward West Africa.

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Key Indicators

341 km
Tendered section length
The El-Menea–In Salah–Tamanrasset section open for bids.
15,000 km
Target network size by 2030
Algeria's rail network would grow from 6,000 to 15,000 kilometers.
$2.5B+
Value of separate 495km contracts
Two contracts tendered in March 2026 for the Laghouat–Ghardaia–El-Menea section.
1,086 km
Corridor length assessed by AfDB-IsDB
The El Meniaa–In Salah–Tamanrasset corridor covered by the September-October 2026 mission.
End-2028
Target service date for Tamanrasset
The government's stated goal for trains reaching Tamanrasset, restated at the 20 October coordination meeting.

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People Involved

Abdelmadjid Tebboune
Abdelmadjid Tebboune
President of Algeria
In office; ordered immediate launch of southern rail projects in October 2026
 Abdoulkader Dileita
Abdoulkader Dileita
African Development Bank Country Manager for Algeria
Led joint AfDB-IsDB mission to the corridor in September-October 2026
 Ahmed Ag Aboubacrine
Ahmed Ag Aboubacrine
Director, Islamic Development Bank Regional Hub for North Africa
Co-led the joint AfDB-IsDB mission
 Abdelkader Djelloui
Abdelkader Djelloui
Minister of Public Works and Basic Infrastructure
Chaired the 20 October 2026 coordination meeting on starting work on the Laghouat–Tamanrasset line

Organizations Involved

NA
National Agency for Studies and Monitoring of Railway Investment Projects (ANESRIF)
State agency
Issues tenders for Algeria's railway expansion program

The Algerian state agency that manages procurement for the country's railway expansion program.
African Development Bank
African Development Bank
Multilateral development bank
Providing financing and technical support for the corridor

Multilateral lender providing $870 million toward the 495km Laghouat–Ghardaia–El-Menea project.
Islamic Development Bank
Islamic Development Bank
Multilateral development bank
Partnering with AfDB on the Algiers–Tamanrasset corridor

Multilateral lender based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, partnering with the AfDB on the corridor.
MP
Ministry of Public Works and Basic Infrastructure
Government ministry
Coordinating preparations for the Laghouat–Tamanrasset railway

The Algerian ministry responsible for public works, including the country's railway programme.

Timeline

March 2026 October 2026

6 events Latest: October 20th, 2026 · 3 weeks ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Ministry meets contractors to finalise worksite preparations

    Latest Preparation

    Public Works Minister Abdelkader Djelloui chaired a coordination meeting with ANESRIF, Infra Rail, Cosider, SNTP, Infrafer and the Chinese firms CRCC and CCECC. They reviewed the Laghouat–Ghardaïa (265 km), Ghardaïa–El Menia (230 km), El Menia–km216 and Tamanrasset–Moulay Lahcen (213 km) sections, and worksite readiness and resources.

  2. Tender announced for 341km El-Menea–In Salah–Tamanrasset section

    Tender

    Contractors invited to bid on the 341-kilometer railway section along the strategic southern corridor.

  3. Tebboune orders immediate launch of southern rail works from Tamanrasset

    Directive

    At a Council of Ministers meeting, Tebboune directed that work on the Laghouat–El Menia–In Salah–Tamanrasset line start from Tamanrasset. A near-identical order had been issued on 4 October.

  4. ANESRIF issues global tender for 310km Hotel Station–Moulay Lahcen section

    Tender

    Global tender for a 310-kilometer railway linking mining areas to the national network. Bids are due 10 November 2026.

  5. AfDB and IsDB begin joint mission along the corridor

    Assessment

    A nine-member mission traveled 1,086 kilometers along the El Meniaa–In Salah–Tamanrasset sections, covering ten provinces over ten days.

  6. ANESRIF tenders 495km Laghouat–Ghardaia–El-Menea contracts

    Tender

    Two contracts worth over $2.5 billion combined, covering 495 kilometers of railway, with bids due May 24.

Scenarios

1

Contract awarded for 341km section

Likely Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: MEED, Construction Review

ANESRIF awards the 341km El-Menea–In Salah–Tamanrasset contract to a named contractor or consortium. The award would follow the pattern of the March 2026 tenders for the 495km section, which drew international interest. Construction would then begin on the southern end of the corridor, as President Tebboune directed.

2

AfDB and IsDB sign financing for the corridor

Possible Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: African Development Bank

The African Development Bank and Islamic Development Bank convert their corridor assessments into loan agreements. The AfDB has already committed $870 million to the 495km section. A broader financing package would accelerate the entire Algiers–Tamanrasset corridor.

3

Construction begins from Tamanrasset

Possible Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Algerie Presse, La Voie d'Algerie

President Tebboune ordered work to start from Tamanrasset, the southern end of the corridor. If the 341km tender is awarded and site preparation begins, construction crews would mobilize in the Sahara. This would mark the first physical construction on the southern corridor.

4

Work starts on the Tamanrasset–Moulay Lahcen section

Likely Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Ministry of Public Works, DZWatch

The 20 October meeting reviewed worksite readiness and resource allocation for the 213km Tamanrasset–Moulay Lahcen section, the stretch President Tebboune said work should start from. Mobilisation there would be the first physical construction on the southern corridor.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

1879-1940s

Trans-Saharan railway proposals (1879-1940s)

French colonial planners proposed a railway from Algeria across the Sahara to the Niger River and West Africa. Survey expeditions in the 1870s and 1880s mapped routes, but the line was never built. The Sahara's vast distances and cost defeated every attempt.

Then

The proposals remained on paper; no trans-Saharan rail was ever completed.

Now

The idea persisted for decades as a symbol of French imperial ambition, but the Sahara remained unconnected by rail.

Why this matters now

Algeria's current project revives a century-old ambition to link the Mediterranean to West Africa by rail, now with modern engineering and financing.

2016-2018

Addis Ababa–Djibouti railway (2018)

Ethiopia and Djibouti opened a 756km standard-gauge railway connecting Addis Ababa to the port of Djibouti. China's state railway companies built and financed most of the line, which replaced a colonial-era narrow-gauge railway.

Then

The line gave landlocked Ethiopia a modern rail link to the sea, cutting freight times from days to hours.

Now

It became a model for Chinese-financed rail projects across Africa and a symbol of regional integration.

Why this matters now

Shows how a single rail corridor can transform a country's trade access, the same logic driving Algeria's southern expansion.

1970-1975

TAZARA railway (1975)

China financed and built the 1,860km Tanzania-Zambia railway, connecting landlocked Zambia to the port of Dar es Salaam. The line was built to give Zambia an export route independent of white-ruled southern Africa.

Then

Zambia gained a new export corridor, and China gained a foothold in African infrastructure.

Now

The line became a symbol of South-South cooperation and Chinese infrastructure investment in Africa.

Why this matters now

Demonstrates the strategic value of rail links connecting landlocked regions to ports, a pattern Algeria's corridor follows.

Sources

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MEED Construction Review DZWatch Seetao African Development Bank Worldnews Algerie Presse La Voie d'Algerie MEED International Railway Journal GoalFore DZWatch La Voie d'Algérie