Flag of Algeria

Railways in

Algeria

SNTF train at Agha
Coradia ZZe trainset of SNTF at Agha station.

The first railway in Algeria was a standard (1435mm) gauge line, opened in 1862 between Alger (Algiers) and Blida, about 28km. Under French colonial government, an extensive network of standard and narrow (1055mm) gauge lines was developed. By the outbreak of World War II, this totalled over 5000km, complemented by extensive dedicated mining railways. After the War, much of the network fell into a state of neglect and decline. Since the 1980s, reconstruction and new development has led to a revived network of around 4000km of standard and narrow gauge line by the mid 2010s. A further 2000km is projected, and there are long term aspirations for a network of up to 12000km. International connections with Morocco and Tunisia closed in the 1990s. One of the connections with Tunisia reopened in 2024.

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Photo image: Youcef sph from Wikimedia Commons