Posted on 30 August 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
Tunisia is planning to invest $US5.5 billion over the next decade in the development of a high-speed rail link with Morocco, Algeria and Libya. Despite having a rail network covering more than 2,100km, operational efficiency is hampered by gauge differences and limited electrification. Less than 10% of the country’s freight is carried on rail, a [...] [...more]
Posted on 30 August 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
The China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, general contractor responsible for building 1,300km of the new rail network in the west of Libya, has awarded contracts worth €115 million for the supply of rail fastenings and turnouts to the German company Vossloh. Deliveries will be made between 2010 and 2012. There have been no railways in [...] [...more]
Posted on 20 August 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
The Tunis transit authority, Transtu, has awarded Alstom a €58 million contract to supply 16 additional Citadis tramsets, as well as maintenance services for its entire existing fleet. The new vehicles will be identical to the 39 delivered between 2007 and 2009. In operation since October 2007 on the network’s line 1, the trams carry [...] [...more]
Posted on 20 August 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
A consortium of Finmeccanica companies Ansaldo STS and Selex Communications has received a €247 million contract from Russian Railways subsidiary Zarubezhstroyteknologiya to provide signalling, automation, telecommunications, power supply, security, and ticketing systems for Libya’s 551km Surt-Benghazi line. Ansaldo STS leads the consortium with an 81.8% share, which equates to around €202 million, and includes the [...] [...more]
Posted on 13 August 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
General contractor China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation has awarded Vossloh two contracts to supply rail fastenings and turnouts for 1,300km of the future rail network in the west of Libya. The contracts have a total value of €115m and deliveries will run to 2012. [...more]
Posted on 13 August 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
Isolux-Corsan has been appointed by Enterprise Metro d’Alger, to implement the Telvent SmartMobility(TM) Light Rail solution for the new 18km, 32-station light rail system in the Algerian city of Oran, scheduled to begin operating by 2011. The system will enable effective, coordinate interaction between city road traffic and the line, with capability to priories rail [...] [...more]
Posted on 25 July 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
The Egyptian government, keen to encourage investment in the Sinai peninsula and in the cities along the Suez Canal, intends to construct a $US1bn tunnel beneath the canal at Port Said, carrying a rail track and two road traffic lanes. The planned location is 19km south of the canal’s northern entrance. Existing crossing points are [...] [...more]
Posted on 25 July 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Tunisiens (SNCFT – the Tunisian National Railways) has ordered 20 diesel railcars from China South Locomotive & Rolling Stock (CSR). Starting in March 2011, Voith Turbo is to deliver 42 rail packs with T212bre turbo transmissions, SK/KE 485 final drives, roof-mounted cooling systems, cardan shafts and Schaku couplers for [...] [...more]
Posted on 19 July 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
Office National des Chemins de fer (ONCF – the national railway of Morocco) has awarded a $US2.3 billion rail contract to a consortium of France-based Egis and Moroccan partner Ingema. The project, to be completed in 2015, involves the design and construction management of an 87km portion of the Kenitra-Tangiers high-speed line. The Moroccan government [...] [...more]
Posted on 12 July 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
Inaugurating the new 580km railway west and south-west from Algiers on 2 July, transport minister Amar Tou said commercial service is to start “very soon”. The line crosses the regions of Tabia, R’jem-Demouche, El Biodh, Mecheria, Naama, Ain-Sefra, Beni-ounif and Bechar. Traffic is projected at some 650,000 passengers and 700,000 tonnes of freight annually. [...more]
Posted on 02 July 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
An article in Revista Ferroviária dealing with Brazilian firms working in Libya mentions the extensive rail network currently under construction, though this has nothing to do with Brazil. Author Samuel Rachdi comments: “The peculiarities of the country have required additional effort from the Brazilian companies. Due to a cultural issue, Libyans are not used to [...] [...more]
Posted on 02 July 2010 by Railways Africa Editor
Algerian transport minister Amar Tou inspected the new electric rolling stock maintenance centre in Algiers on 30 June, announcing afterwards that it is 90% complete and due to be finished within four months. Construction of the DZD 8.7 billion project began in March 2008. A fleet of 64 electric coaches will be maintained at the [...] [...more]
