SNTF on 6 July will relaunch a tender, first issued at the start of the year, to upgrade 365 kilometres of track between Mecheria, 250 kilometres south of Oran, and Bechar in the western part of the Algerian Sahara. A consortium led by Egypt's Orascom Construction Industrieswas the low bidder at $475 million for the original contract tendered earlier this year. However, the price proposed was significantly higher than SNTF's budget for the project, a spokesman for the client said on 2 July (MEED 18:4:03).

The retendered contract, for which bids must be submitted by 22 September, will have the same scope of works, which includes replacing the 100-year-old rails with modern standard track, the construction of five stations and some 20 steel bridges. A tender to extend the line 150 kilometres north will be launched in January.

Another major tender, also to be launched on 6 July, will call for the electrification of train lines in and around Algiers.

SNTF on 30 June received two bids for the contract to build a 14-kilometre line between Tizi-Ouzou and Oued Aissi. A consortium consisting of the local Etrhbwith three Turkish companies - Tekser, Aydeniz and Ozgun- is low bidder for the project at AD 5,900 million ($74 million), including a Eur 34.2 million ($39.5 million) euro component. Italy's Astaldihas submitted the other bid of AD 8,650 million ($108 million), with a Eur 46.3 million ($53.5 million) euro component.