In 1830, French troops invaded Algeria, at that time effectively an independent state owing only nominal allegiance to the Ottoman sultans. Before long, the first proposals for building railways to assist in the conquest of the country began to appear in France.
Thus, in 1833 the renowned banker, scholar, and socialist politician Émile Pereire set out, in the newspaper Le National, a plan for a railway connecting the cities of Bône (now Annaba), Constantine, Algiers, and Oran. In 1844, the engineer Édouard de Redon proposed laying a railway from Algiers to the town of Blida at the foot of the Atlas. Other projects were also put forward, but almost all of them were of a fairly speculative nature.
Émile Pereire (1800–1875). (Source: Wikimedia Commons. From the collection of the Carnavalet Museum of the History of Paris. Photograph taken at the Nadar studio)
Following the official proclamation of Algeria as a French possession in 1848, the February Revolution of that same year, and the subsequent election of Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte as the first President of France (from 1852 to 1870, Emperor Napoleon III), plans to build railways in the new colony began to take concrete shape. The Governor of Algeria, Jacques Louis Randon, commissioned General François de Chabaud-Latour to conduct the studies needed to draw up a general plan for a railway network in Algeria. As a result, an imperial decree was issued in 1857 approving the state plan for the creation of Algeria's railway network (the “1857 Program”), drawn up by the then Minister of War, Marshal Vaillant. A gauge of 1,435 mm was envisaged.
The country's first railway line, however, was laid in 1858 by merchants — the Karézas Civil Company of Mines and Blast Furnaces — to connect the Karézas mine with the river port of La Seybouse on the outskirts of Bône. This roughly 11 km industrial branch, with a meter gauge, was put into operation on 1 September 1859 and was intended exclusively for the carriage of iron ore. The following year it was extended to Aïn Mokra (32 km). This section subsequently became the beginning of the main line running from Bône to Saint-Charles.
Algeria's first railway line, Bône–Aïn Mokra, 1 June 1865. (Source: Wikimedia Commons. From the collection of the CDHA — the Centre for Historical Documentation on Algeria)
Meanwhile, on 20 June 1860 a law was enacted in France declaring three of the line sections envisaged under the 1857 plan to be “of public utility” and subject to construction: Algiers–Blida (51 km); Oran–Saint-Denis-du-Sig (now Sig, 52 km); and Philippeville (Skikda)–Constantine (87 km) — amounting in total to just 14% of the 1,357 km of lines originally planned. Accordingly, the Algerian Railways Company (CFA) was established and, by a decree of Napoleon III dated 11 July 1860, granted the right to build and operate the lines in question. Among the founders of the joint-stock company was the director of the port of Marseille, who saw in it an opportunity to expand the port's activities through imports from the colony. Interestingly, construction of the Algiers–Blida section had been begun by the military even before the concession was granted — on 12 December 1859.
Hussein Dey Station on the Algiers–Blida line. (Source: Wikimedia Commons. Engraving from the journal L'Illustration, No. 1018 of 20 August 1862)
The new company, however, was beset by financial misfortune and as early as 1863 declared bankruptcy. In the event, on 11 June the concession was transferred to the major railway company Paris–Lyon–Méditerranée (PLM), with the list of sections supplemented by the Blida–Saint-Denis-du-Sig section, 348 km in length.
Construction of Algeria's main railway line, with a total length of 420 km (shorter than originally envisaged), between the colonial capital and Oran, the country's second most populous city, continued for 12 years. The Algiers–Blida section was put into operation on 25 October 1862, Oran–Relizane on 1 November 1868, Blida–Boumedfa on 8 July 1869, Relizane–Affreville (present-day Khemis Miliana) on 1 September 1870 and, finally, the concluding section from Affreville to Boumedfa on 1 May 1871.
A little earlier, on 1 September 1870, the Philippeville–Constantine section was put into operation, with the further prospect of reaching Algiers.
The railway station in the city of Algiers, early 20th century (postcard). (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
By a decree of 29 April 1874, the concession agreements concluded between the Governor-General of Algeria and the Franco-Algerian Company (FA) were approved. A decree of 7 May of that same year authorized the granting of concessions for seven railway sections to three further companies: the Société de Construction des Batignolles (SCB), the Compagnie de l'Ouest Algérien (COA), and the Compagnie de l'Est Algérien (CEA). In the history of Algeria's railways, these legislative acts are conventionally known as the “1874 Program.” Both the unbuilt lines envisaged under the first plan and newly proposed sections were carried over into the second plan.
Thus, the construction of the country's second most important main line, Algiers–Constantine (more than 460 km in length), envisaged under the “1857 Program,” was declared “of public utility” only under the Third Republic, on 15 December 1875; the concession was transferred to the CEA. The line was put into operation in stages; its first section, Maison-Carrée (El Harrach)–L'Alma (Boudouaou), opened on 5 August 1879, and the last, Draa El Mizan–Bouira, was completed on 3 November 1886. Thus, more than half a century later, Émile Pereire's proposals were fully realized.
Medal of the Compagnie de l'Est Algérien (by Louis-Oscar Roty), struck to commemorate the opening of the railway line Algiers–Constantine in 1886. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Long before this event, in 1879, the length of the Algerian railway network reached 1,079 km. It now included the meridional branches Arzew–Perrégaux (Mohammadia)–Saïda (1,055 mm gauge), built by the FA, and Sainte-Barbe-du-Tlélat (Oued Tlélat)–Sidi Bel Abbès (COA). That year is notable in the history of Algeria's railways for the adoption of a third sectoral development plan (the “1879 Program”), providing for the construction of a further twenty new railway sections and the completion of three sections envisaged under the “1874 Program,” with a total length of 1,747 km.
A “landmark” event of sorts was the connection in 1884 of Algeria's railway network with Tunisia (a French protectorate since 1881), through the construction by the SCB of a line from Le Khroub (El Khroub) via Guelma and Souk Ahras to Ghardimaou in Tunisia. And in 1896 the famous French writer Jules Verne introduced his readers to Algeria's railways in the novel Clovis Dardentor.
By the beginning of the 20th century, Algeria's railway network — comprising sections with gauges of 1,435 mm (the greater part of the lines), 1,055 mm, and 1,000 mm — was operated by five railway companies. At this time France relinquished direct control over the construction and financing of railways in Algeria and transferred this responsibility to its colony. The laws of 19 December 1900 and 23 July 1904 established a dedicated budget for the management and development of the Algerian railway network, making it possible to lay the missing sections.
A Compagnie de l'Ouest Algérien train crossing the Bridge of the Cascades at Tlemcen, 1905. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
Moreover, with a view to improving the efficiency of railway management in Algeria (which became especially pressing under the conditions of the First World War), a course was set toward reducing the number of railway companies through the consolidation of businesses and their buy-out by the state. As a result, by 1922 only two companies remained in Algeria: the Algerian State Railways Company (CFAE) and PLM in Algeria (PLMA).
In order to reduce construction costs, and given the need to build a great many tight-radius curves on account of the mountainous terrain, the narrow gauge came to predominate among Algeria's new railways. By 1930, the length of the railway network had reached 4,823 km, of which standard-gauge lines accounted for less than half — 2,053 km — the remainder being sections with gauges of 1,055, 1,000, and 600 mm. The country's longest narrow-gauge main line (1,055 mm gauge) was the Arzew–Saïda–Béchar line, more than 700 km in length, completed in 1906.
In the 1920s, the mining industry developed in Algeria, with rising output of iron ore and phosphates. The volume of ore carried by rail increased from 350,000 tons in 1921 to almost 2 million tons in 1930. The line from Tébessa to the port of Bône was of decisive importance here. As the weight of trains grew, however, its operation became an increasingly difficult task on account of the steep gradients. The section between the stations of Duvivier and Oued Keberit became a “bottleneck.” For this reason, in 1929 the decision was taken to electrify the railway line (3 kV). The CFAE purchased some 30 type 6AE electric locomotives, built jointly by the companies CEF and Alsthom. These locomotives remained in service until 1972, and Bône–Tébessa remained the only electrified line in Algeria until the 2000s.
Electric locomotive CFA 6AE-24 (formerly CFAE 6AE-1024) on the
Bône–Souk Ahras section, approximately 1945. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
In 1934, Algeria's railways gained a connection with Morocco. On 1 January 1939, the Algerian Railways Administration (CFA) was established, to which the country's entire railway network was transferred. With the end of the Second World War, the conversion of the network to diesel traction began. In 1947, Algeria received 65 diesel locomotives from the American company Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton (BLH) of the 040 DA and 040 DB series, and the following year a batch of 040 DC-series diesel locomotives. As early as 1955, the operation of steam locomotives on the standard-gauge railways was discontinued, and six years later on the narrow gauge as well.
A CFA passenger train with a 040 DC diesel locomotive at the border station between Tunisia and Algeria at Ghardimaou, 1950. (Source: Wikimedia Commons. From the collection of the Image Archive of the ETH Library, Zurich)
Up until Algeria's proclamation of independence on 5 July 1962, the country's railway network underwent no major changes, apart from the closure of a number of low-traffic lines and the regauging of several narrow-gauge lines to 1,435 mm.
On 16 May 1963, the National Company of French Railways in Algeria, created in 1959, became the National Algerian Railways Company (retaining the same abbreviation, SNCFA). In 1963, however, passenger and freight traffic amounted to just 68% and 51%, respectively, of the 1960 figures; the closure of narrow-gauge lines continued. Mention should nonetheless be made of the 1966 extension of the Annaba–Tébessa railway line by 110 km to the country's largest phosphate deposit, Djebel Onk.
From 1972, the gradual replacement of the worn-out French rolling stock began. The 6AE electric locomotives were succeeded by 32 6CE locomotives built by the company LEW of the GDR, and the old railcars by 33 Italian FIAT diesel multiple units; 29 diesel locomotives were also purchased from the American company General Motors.
Unloading of a new 6CE-type electric locomotive, newly arrived from the GDR, at the port of Algiers, 1972. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)
On 31 March 1976, the Algerian government divided the SNCFA into three parts:
– the National Railway Transport Company (SNTF), responsible for operating and maintaining the network;
– the National Company for the Study and Development of Railway Infrastructure (SNERIF), responsible for the modernization and expansion of the network;
– the Company for the Design and Construction of Railway Infrastructure (SIF). In 1986, however, a financial crisis led to the dissolution of SNERIF and SIF, whose functions passed to the SNTF.
During the “Black Decade” — the Algerian Civil War of 1992–2002 — the railway network was subjected to numerous terrorist attacks, which hampered its operation. The SNTF nevertheless managed to keep trains running throughout this period.
At the end of the 20th century, Algeria's railway network comprised 4,250 km of lines (3,169 km of standard gauge and 1,081 km of narrow (1,055 mm) gauge). Some 301 km of railways were electrified, and 345 km had a second track.
At the start of the new millennium, the Algerian state and the SNTF resumed programs to modernize the railway network. In 2005, the National Agency for the Study and Monitoring of the Implementation of Railway Investment (ANESRIF) was established to manage a new program of state investment. The electrification of the sections of the Algiers railway junction began, at 25 kV AC. By 2019, 212 km of lines had been electrified, including the newly built sections Birtouta–Zéralda (21 km) and Bab Ezzouar–Algiers Airport (3 km). At present the suburban railway network, which uses Stadler FLIRT electric trains, is integrated with the metro and tram systems of the city of Algiers (opened in 2011) and comprises 44 stations and 7 routes.
Suburban train No. 1063, Algiers–El Affroun, at Agha Station, 31 July 2016.
(Source: railgallery.ru. Photo: Denis Eskov)
The construction of main railway lines has also resumed. Of exceptional importance to the country's economy is the grandiose project of the meridional Western Mining Railway, with a total length of 1,650 km, intended to connect the Gara Djebilet iron-ore deposit with the port of Oran. As part of this project, by 2010 the regauging of the 360 km El Biodh–Béchar section to 1,435 mm had been completed, along with the construction of the 115 km connecting section Redjem Demouche–El Biodh and the modernization of the railway signaling and telemechanics between Oran and Redjem Demouche. The new line is expected to enter service in March 2026, following the completion of the 950 km Béchar–Gara Djebilet section.
Much attention is also being paid to improving the connectivity of the railway network. In 2009, the sections between the cities of Aïn Touta and M'Sila, as well as Aïn M'lila and El Aouinet, were put into operation; in 2010, the Bordj Bou Arréridj–M'Sila section; in 2017, Moulay Slissen–Saïda; in 2022, Tissemsilt–M'Sila; and in 2023, Saïda–Tiaret and Boughezoul–Laghouat. The day is therefore not far off when Algeria will gain a second full-fledged east–west main line — the “High Plateau line.”
A joint project of 1520International and the Institute for Economics and Transport Development (IETD)
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