A team comprising France’s Systra and local engineering consultancy Studi International is undertaking the preliminary and detailed design studies for the first line of the planned light rail transit (LRT) network in Sfax, Tunisia’s second most populous city after the capital Tunis.

The contract with the French/local team is understood to include tender documents preparation for the initial section of the first tramway line (T1). It also covers the feasibility study for a road link between Taparura and the city centre, and design studies for a multi-modal hub at one of the stations.

MEED understands the 22.5 kilometre T1 has been divided into two sections. The initial section, which will extend 13.5km from the El Ons district to the airport, will be tendered first and is envisaged to be completed by 2022.

The 13.5km first section of T1 will extend from the El Ons district to the airport and run through the city centre. It will also cater to the El-Habib and El-Bahri districts, and the university area in the city’s southwest region.

The initial section of a second tramway line (T2) is to be developed next, and is due to be completed in 2024.

Both T1 and T2 are to be extended in succeeding phases, to be completed by 2026 and 2030, respectively.

T1 comprises the initial phase of the city’s overall public transport programme, which has been planned since the early 2000s.

A team of French consultancy Egis and local firm I2E conducted the feasibility study, funded by the European Investment Bank (EIB), for the transport network in 2014.

In addition to the two tramway lines, other components of planned Sfax network include three bus rapid transit (BRT) lines.

The entire project, to be implemented as a public-private partnership (PPP), has an estimated budget of TND2.8bn ($1bn), with the first phase expected to cost around TND690m.

Societe du Metro Leger de Sfax (SMLS) is the project client.