Algiers tramway to open in May

17 April 2011

The tramway was initially due for completion in 2009

The first section of the Algiers tramway is expected to start operating in May, following lengthy delays.

The first section is about 8 kilometres long and will run between Cinq Maisons and Bordj el-Kiffan in the east of Algiers. In 2006, a consortium comprising France’s Alstom, Italy’s Todini and local ETRHB won the construction contract for the first line of the tramway. The line was initially expected to be operational in 2009.

Additional kilometres will become operational every six months until the first line reaches its ultimate length of 23 kilometres, says a source close to the project. The first line will have 38 stations.

Algeria is planning to build more than 200 tram lines across 14 cities over the next 10 years. The investment is due to worsening congestion in various cities across the country and forecasts that about 20 cities in Algeria will house populations of more than 200,000 people. The Algerian government has pledged to spend $30bn on developing its transport infrastructure up to 2014.

Aside from Algiers, tram and metro projects are already under way in Oran, Constantine and Mostaganem. Enterprise Metro d’Alger (Ema) is currently inviting bids by 12 June for extensions to the Eastern line of Algiers tram and also for the first line of the Oran tramway (MEED 20:3:11).

The 18.7km first line of the Oran tramway is already being built. Construction began in December 2008 and is being carried out by a consortium that comprises France’s Alstom and Spain’s Isolux Corsan group.

Alstom expects to spend €600m ($866m) in 2011 on rail projects in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region alone. The company is already involved in three tram or metro projects in Algeria, as well as projects in Rabat, Casablanca, Cairo and the GCC.

In November 2010, Alstom signed a joint-venture agreement with Ema together with Spain’s Ferrovial to build and maintain tramcars in Algeria. The joint venture is currently building the factory due to be completed in 2013.

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