The history of rail transport in Algeria began in 1857 during the French colonization with the implementation of an initial plan for the creation of a 1357km (843miles) railway network. This plan, formalized by a decree from Emperor Napoleon III, defined the initial framework of the Algerian railway network, which continued to evolve throughout the second half of the 19th century, both in terms of its scale and structure.
The initial railway network revolved around a main railway artery connecting the capital cities of the three departments of the country: Algiers, Constantine, and Oran. Branching out from these main lines were secondary lines that extended towards the major ports of the colony. These early railway lines primarily served the transportation of agricultural products and raw materials from Algeria to mainland France, as well as the movement of manufactured goods from coastal cities to the interior regions of the colony.
The Algerian railway network was constructed in a fragmented manner across different regions due to the presence of multiple concessionary companies and the lack of overall coordination. It was not until the early 20th century that the French government and the Algerian government unified the various components of the network and simplified its management by reducing the number of companies involved.The railway network underwent significant evolution throughout the first half of the 20th century. At its peak, just before the outbreak of the Second World War, it encompassed up to 5000km (3,000miles) of railway lines. However, following the war, railway transport in Algeria faced competition from road transport, and several secondary lines were closed in the decades leading up to the country's independence.
In 1962, the newly established Algerian state initially focused on managing the existing railway network, ensuring efficient operation and maintenance. It was not until the early 2000s that a major plan for modernization and expansion of the network was implemented. This involved the creation of new railway lines, the doubling or electrification of existing ones, and a gradual extension of the network to cover the entire country.
Significant developments included the construction of a railway ring road in the High Plateaus and the ongoing completion of feeder lines connecting major cities in the northern Sahara region. Moreover, studies are currently being conducted to extend these lines through the Sahara, connecting the Algerian railway network with neighbouring countries to the south. This expansion aims to facilitate the transportation of various goods, such as minerals and petrochemical products, by rail between Sahelian countries, Algerian ports, Europe, and other global destinations.
Just a few years after the beginning of France's conquest of Algeria in 1830, politicians, industrialists, and investors proposed various railway line projects in Algeria.[1]
In 1833 the financier and politician Émile Pereire published an article in the French newspaper Le National, in addition to discussing his ideas for the administration and colonization of Algeria, he presented a plan for establishing a railway system connecting Bône (Annaba) and Constantine to Algiers, and Algiers to Oran. According to Pereire:[2]
In 1844 engineer Édouard de Redon put forward a proposal to construct a railway from Algiers to Blida, following the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. At the same time, Frédéric and Eugène Lacroix presented their project for a railway line connecting Philippeville (Skikda) to Constantine, including a port at Stora. M. Garbes also suggested two railway lines in the Oran region: one from Oran to Mostaganem and Hillil (Yellel), and another from Oran to Tlemcen.
In 1854 a group of investors developed a project to establish a comprehensive railway network in Algeria. This plan included multiple lines, such as the Algiers-Oran, Algiers-Constantine, Constantine-Bône with a branch line to Philippeville, Tlemcen-Mascara via Sidi Bel Abbès, and various branch lines to Mostaganem, Ténès, and Bougie (Béjaïa).
While the need for a railway network to promote colonization in Algeria was recognized during the assessment of these projects, the preliminary studies were deemed inadequate as they were either limited to specific regions or driven by private interests focusing on transporting goods from productive areas or mines seeking concessions. To address these concerns and fully facilitate colonization, the governor of Algeria, Jacques Louis Randon, assigned General François de Chabaud-Latour to conduct thorough studies and develop a comprehensive plan for the railway network. It was the outcome of these studies that led to the issuance of the imperial decree in 1857, marking the first concrete plan to establish a railway network in Algeria.
The Algiers–Blida line, which was inaugurated in 1862, is widely recognized as the first railway line in Algeria designed for both passenger and freight transportation. But the real first line was established in 1858 by the Société Civile des Mines et Hauts-Fourneaux des Karezas. This initial railway line spanned 11 km and connected the Karezas iron mine to the Seybouse River port, situated on the outskirts of Annaba. Operating on a meter-gauge track, it commenced operations on, exclusively for the transportation of ore. Subsequently, it served as the foundation for the future Bône-Saint-Charles line.[3]
After the French conquest of Algeria in 1830, several suggestions were made to establish a railway network that would facilitate the colonization of the region. But no substantial projects were initiated in response to these proposals.[4] It was not until the mid-1850s that General François de Chabaud-Latour, the senior commander of the engineering corps in Algeria, was assigned by Governor Jacques Louis Randon to assess the various suggestions and provide a comprehensive report. In one of his conclusions, he asserted:It was only in 1857 that Marshal Vaillant, the Minister of War at the time, presented Emperor Napoleon III with a comprehensive plan for the construction of Algerian railways. The main axes of this plan are as follows:[5] The emperor, agreeing with the plan, signed a decree on, to create a railway network in Algeria. This decree, known as the 1857 Classification Decree, outlined the key aspects of the railway program in Algeria. It proposed the construction of a 1357km (843miles) network, consisting of:[6]
The law of declares three sections of the lines planned in the 1857 plan as being of public utility:[7]
Only 190 km of railway lines were constructed out of the original plan of 1,357 km.
These short lines were given priority for construction as they connected the three major cities of colonial Algeria: Algiers, Constantine, and Oran. The primary objectives were to facilitate the exploitation of natural resources in these regions and to solidify French presence in Algeria.
The concession for these three lines was granted to a joint-stock company Chemins de Fer Algériens (CFA)[8] through an imperial decree on . The CFA was specifically established by a group of businessmen, including the director of the Marseille port, who recognized the opportunity to enhance port activity by importing products from the colony.
However, the construction of the Algiers–Blida railway line was initiated in 1859, well before its concession was granted to the Algerian Railway Company (CFA).
The Algerian Railway Company (CFA), which was granted the concession for three priority lines in 1860, faced immediate financial challenges. Insufficient subscribed shares (only 33 000 out of 100 000 shares offered) resulted in a lack of capital, leading the company to declare bankruptcy. As a result, in 1863, all concessions were transferred to Chemins de fer de Paris à Lyon et à la Méditerranée (PLM) through the enactment of the law.
This redistribution was a decision made by Eugène Rouher, who served as the Minister of Commerce and Public Works. It was a result of his support for the PLM company during a conflict with the company Chemins de fer du Midi over the allocation of the Sète–Marseille line. As the PLM company emerged victorious from the dispute, the minister imposed the transfer of concessions from the CFA to the PLM as a form of compensation. The PLM gladly accepted the minister's decision, seeing it as a favorable outcome. In fact, the PLM management informed its shareholders that they anticipated certain indirect benefits from the completion of the Algerian railway network. They noted that their metropolitan network, which serviced the region facing Algeria, would now handle all traffic travelling to and from Algeria, thereby increasing their overall rail traffic. They also emphasized their keen interest in the creation and expansion of railway lines in Algeria.
Consequently, the PLM company became the concessionaire for 543 km of railway lines in Algeria, including the entire Algiers–Oran line :
By acquiring these concessions, the PLM, which already operated an extensive railway network in mainland France, now extended its reach from Marseille, the primary port for journeys to Algiers, all the way into Algeria.
The French government launched the construction of the Algiers to Blida section, which is the primary segment of the Algiers–Oran line, without waiting for the declaration of public utility. The construction work commences on . Initially, it is the French Army that takes on the task of building the railway line.[9] The first section, connecting Algiers to Oran, is completed and opens for goods transportation on September 8, 1862, followed by passenger services on .
The Algiers-Oran railway line was gradually opened in multiple stages:[10]
As a result the entire 420 km-long line was fully operational in 1871, marking the completion of the project 12 years after construction began;
Originally granted to the CFA company in 1860, the concession for the Philippeville–Constantine railway line was transferred to the PLM in 1863 following the former's bankruptcy. The construction of this line was undertaken by the new company.
The line was officially opened on . With a length of 87 km, it was later connected to the Constantine to Alger line, which was fully operational in 1886, forming the present-day Algiers to Skikda line.
Not all of the other lines outlined in the initial plan were fully realized. Some underwent changes in their routes, while others were never built :
The governor's decree on allowed for the extension of the Karesas Mines railway line to the Seybouse port in Bône (now Annaba), both towards the north and west, reaching the area of Aïn Mokra (Berrahal).
The decree of approves the agreements reached between the Governor-General of Algeria and the Compagnie franco-algérienne (FA) for the concession of a railway line from Arzew to Saïda, with an extension of 70 km in the direction of Geryville (now El Bayadh). The concession is granted to the FA company without subsidy or interest guarantee, but with the exclusive privilege of exploiting the alfa on 300 000 hectares of land in the Hautes Plaines region; the line will transport alfa to the port of Arzew for importation to mainland France.
The decree of transposes the French law of on local interest railways to Algeria. Until that date, no departmental line had been conceded in Algeria.
The decree of, allowed for the granting of concessions to three additional railway companies :
| +Concessions granted by the 1874 program. | Companies | Lines | Dates |
| Compagnie franco-algérienne | Arzew–Saïdawith extension to Geryville (El Bayadh) | ||
| Société de construction des Batignollesthen merged into the Compagnie des chemins de fer Bône-Guelma | Bône–Guelma | ||
| Duvivier–Souk Ahraswith extension to Sidi El Hemissi(at the Tunisian border) | |||
| Guelma–Le Kroubs | |||
| Compagnie de l'Ouest algérien | Saint-Barbe-du-Tlelat–Sidi Bel Abbès | ||
| Compagnie de l'Est algérien | Constantine–Sétif | ||
| Maison-Carrée–Alma | |||
| Alma–Ménerville |
The law of 18 July 1879 defines a new comprehensive plan, known as the classification plan, which incorporates the provisions of the 1857 plan while adapting it to the lines created or conceded later as part of the 1874 program.
This new plan allows for the creation of of new lines, added to the of already built lines, forming a cohesive network.
The 1879 plan envisions the construction of twenty new lines classified in the general network: and the incorporation into the general network of local lines already conceded in the 1874 program:
By 1880, the Algerian railway network already consists of of tracks. The laws implementing the 1879 plan triple its length.
Between 1880 and 1900 several laws are enacted to grant concessions to railway companies for the construction and operation of the lines in the 1879 plan. The table below lists these concessions.
| +Concessions granted under the 1879 program. | Companies | Lines | Dates |
| Compagnie de l'Est algérien | Maison-Carrée–l'Alma • l'Alma–Ménerville • Ménerville–Sétif • El Guerrah–Batna | 2 August 1880 | |
| Ménerville–Tizi-Ouzou | 23 August 1883 | ||
| Beni Mansour–Bougie | 21 May 1884 | ||
| Batna–Biskra | 21 July 1884 | ||
| Aïn Beida–Ouled Rahmoune | 7 August 1885 | ||
| Compagnie de l'Ouest algérien | Sidi Bel Abbes – Magenta et prolongement jusqu'à Ras El Ma | 22 August 1881 | |
| La Sénia–Aïn Témouchent | 5 August 1882 | ||
| Tabia–Tlemcen par Lamoricière(replaces the line from Aïn Témouchent to Tlemcen initially planned in the 1879 program) | 16 July 1885 | ||
| Blida – Berrouaghia et prolongement vers Boghari(replaces the line from Mouzaïaville to Berrouaghia planned in the 1879 program) | 31 July 1886 | ||
| Compagnie franco-algérienne | Mostaganem–Tiaret • Mascara–Aïn Tizi • Saïda–Mécheria(except for the section from Modzbah to Mécheria, which will be conceded later) | 8 August 1881 | |
| Aïn Tizi–Mascara | 3 July 1884 | ||
| Mostaganem–Tiaret via Aïn Tédeles | 15 April 1885 | ||
| Modzbah–Mécheria | 28 July 1885 | ||
| Mécheria–Aïn Sefra | 31 July 1886 | ||
| Compagnie des chemins de fer Bône-Guelma | Souk Ahras–Sidi El Hemessi | 20 April 1882 | |
| Souk Ahras–Tébessa | 28 July 1885 | ||
| French State(Ministry of Public Works) | Aïn Sefra–Djeniene Bourezg | 25 January 1892 | |
| Aïn Sefra–Djeniene Bourezg, towards Fort Duveyrier(in the current commune of Beni Ounif) | 7 July 1900 |
At the end of the 19th Century, five railway companies operated Algerian railway lines:
It is noteworthy that, for three of the five companies, several lines in their respective networks did not have connections with each other:
1892 marks the beginning of a pause in the creation of general interest lines in Algeria for about a decade. Only a few small local interest lines are declared of public utility during this period:
The French state disengages from direct governance of the construction and financing of the railway network in Algeria and aims to transfer this responsibility to its colony. The laws of and create a special budget to grant financial autonomy to Algeria, in terms of public works, with a separate budget for the management and development of its railway network. The Colony now has the opportunity to add new railway tracks to the insufficient network provided by the Metropolis. But first, some order must be brought to the operational network before addressing its development, including improving and unifying the tariff structure for passenger services and freight transport.
The governor-general encourages Algerian companies to unify the rates for mainline (GV) and low speed (PV). The Compagnie des chemins de fer Bône-Guelma, and Compagnie de l'Ouest algérien, and PLM undertake studies to achieve a unification of tariffs. Only the Compagnie de l'Est algérien refuses.
At the end of the 19th century and during the early years of the 20th century, especially during the First World War, Algerian railway companies faced financial difficulties. These difficulties led to the disappearance of four of them, and the Algerian government bought the lines of their networks, which were transferred either to the new Compagnie des chemins de fer algériens de l'État (CFAE), created on, to operate the lines acquired by the Algerian government,[11] or to the PLM company.
The Compagnie franco-algérienne, not very prosperous because its lines were not very profitable, faced financial difficulties, leading it to lease its network to the Compagnie de l'Ouest algérien for five years in 1888. It eventually filed for bankruptcy in 1890 but retained its concessions for a few more years. The decree of authorized the state to operate the lines of the Compagnie franco-algérienne. The network was bought on, and placed under the supervision of the Administration métropolitaine des chemins de fer d'État.[12] It was transferred to the Compagnie des chemins de fer algériens de l'État in 1912.
After the Compagnie de l'Est algérien refused to unify its freight transport rates with those of other companies, citing potential operating losses, the governor-general and the Algerian assemblies decided to buy the company's concessions and operate its network directly. The decree of confirmed this purchase, which took effect on .[13] Like the network of the Compagnie franco-algérienne, the network of the Compagnie de l'Est algérien was definitively transferred to the CFAE in 1912.
The Compagnie des chemins de fer Bône-Guelma, which had agreed to unify its freight transport rates, wanted to renegotiate its agreements to better incorporate its costs for transporting mining products from southern Constantine. As the negotiations failed, the Algerian government considered buying the Algerian part of the Compagnie des chemins de fer Bône-Guelma's network (which also operated lines in Tunisia). This acquisition was authorized by the decree of, and it was completed on .[14]
World War I had repercussions on the Algerian railway network. From the beginning of the war, the railways came under the control of the French army. Requisitions and military priorities paralyzed the commercial railway transport of Algerian companies. The reduction in personnel and the exorbitant increase in the costs of raw materials, including coal, due to the war, further worsened the situation. These difficulties greatly deteriorated the financial situation of the companies, especially the Company of Western Algeria. Faced with increased expenses caused by the war and a decrease in profits, the company requested renegotiations of the financial clauses of its concessions. It declared its inability to continue operating its network beyond . The Algerian authorities then decided to proceed with the repurchase of the company's network. This repurchase was formalized by the decree of . The operation of the network was temporarily transferred to the PLM company on, and then permanently in 1924.[15]
The previous acquisitions have led to improvements in the management and organization of the network but have not succeeded in homogenizing it. The lines of the PLM Company remained intertwined with those of the CFAE. Additionally, the PLM Company needed to revise its 1863 agreement with the State to account for the economic conditions in the aftermath of the war. A reform of the organization of Algeria's general interest railways became necessary.
A new agreement was established on, between the governor-general of Algeria on one hand, and the administration of the Algerian State Railways and the PLM Company on the other. This agreement stipulates that:
– The Governor-General acquires from the Paris-Lyon-Mediterranean Company, starting from, all the lines conceded to it by the Convention of, namely: the line from Algiers to Oran and the line from Philippeville to Constantine. – The Governor-General, representing Algeria, leases to the PLM Company from, the following lines: from Algiers to Oran, from La Sénia to Aïn-Témouchent, from Sainte-Barbe-du-Tlélat to Sidi-Bel-Abbès and Ras-el-Mâ, from Tabia to Tlemcen and the border of Morocco, and from Blida to Djelfa.
The agreement is approved by the law of .[16]
Thus, in 1922, only two railway companies remained in Algeria: the Algerian State Railways Company (CFAE) and the Paris-Lyon-Mediterranean Company in Algeria (PLMA).
The expansion of the network resumed at the beginning of the 20th century with:
Several declarations of public utility are made for the following lines:
Other laws reorganize the Algerian network:
In 1930 the Algerian network has approximately 5000 km of railway tracks, distributed as shown in the following table.
| Standard Gauge1435 mm | Narrow Gauge1055 mm | Narrow Gauge1000 mm | Narrow Gauge600 mm | Totalcompanies | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CFAE | 3589 km | ||||
| PLMA | 1233 km | ||||
| Total network | |||||
The Souk Ahras to Tébessa line, granted to the Compagnie des chemins de fer Bône-Guelma in 1885, originally aimed to connect two important cities in eastern Algeria and ensure a connection with Tunisia, where the company also had concessions. It also had a strategic military interest due to its proximity to the border. Its construction was completed in 1888. Originally, it was a meter-gauge line given the expected limited commercial role.
The discovery in the 1890s of phosphate deposits in the Djebel Kouif (east of Tébessa, 257 km south of Bône) and iron ore in the Ouenza massif (located east of Oued Keberit at 190 km from Bône) at the same time led their operators to build short lines to connect these mining sites to the Souk Ahras to Tébessa line. These branches allowed the transportation of ores by rail to the port of Bône for export.
During the 1920s, the tonnage of ores transported by railways increased from in 1921 to nearly tons in 1930. The Bône to Tébessa line now played a crucial role in ore transportation. However, the operation of steam locomotives on a single track with a mountainous profile, including steep grades in the Souk Ahras region, became increasingly challenging and no longer allowed efficient transportation. The section of the line between Duvivier and Oued Keberit became a bottleneck limiting its capacity. Only the electrification of the line allowed an increase in capacity and tonnage through improved traction power of electric locomotives and increased speed. The decision to electrify the line was made in 1929, initially for the Duvivier–Oued Keberit section and later for the rest of the line in subsequent years. The voltage of the current chosen was 3 000 V DC, supplied by a thermal power plant of located near Bône. The Algerian State Railways Company acquired around thirty locomotives of the CC 6-AE type (similar to PLM 1CC1 3700) built by Constructions électriques de France (CEF) in association with Alsthom.
The 6-AE electric locomotives remained in service until 1972, and the Bône–Tébessa line remained the only electrified line in Algeria until the 2000s when the suburban network of Algiers was electrified.
The creation of the Société nationale des chemins de fer français (SNCF) in 1938 notably led to the disappearance of the Paris-Lyon-Mediterranean Railway Company (PLM) and its Algerian subsidiary, the PLMA. In Algeria, there was initially consideration of integrating the entire network into the new SNCF. However, it was ultimately decided to establish a separate entity from the SNCF: the Office des chemins de fer algériens (CFA), which officially began operating the railway network in Algeria on .[17]
Rail transport in Algeria, like in metropolitan France during the same period, faced competition from road transport, both for passengers and goods. Buses and trucks were more competitive and flexible for short or medium distances compared to trains. This situation, which emerged before World War II, continued until the early 1950s. It led to the closure of less important lines and the abandonment of those planned in previous plans.
Over the two decades preceding the independence of Algeria, the Algerian railway network did not undergo major changes except for some transformations of existing lines.
Several small lines in Oran were closed:
The same fate befell lines in the central and eastern regions:
Also, branch lines from the Biskra to Touggourt line:
The main transformations involved converting narrow-gauge lines to standard gauge:
In 1942 the Trumelet to Burdeau section of the Trumelet to Hardy line, with a gauge, was converted to narrow gauge with a gauge.
In 1946 a branch line with a gauge was created on the Biskra to Touggourt line between Still and El Oued. The line was converted to a meter gauge in 1950 and closed in 1958.
On the Société nationale des chemins de fer français en Algérie (SNCFA) was created, with the French state and the metropolitan SNCF as its two shareholders.
On January 16, 1963, the French National Railway Company in Algeria, created in 1959, becomes the Société nationale des chemins de fer algériens (retaining the same acronym SNCFA).[18]
After independence the new SNCFA inherited a fairly dense, heterogeneous, and partly obsolete network. It also needed to "Algerianize" its workforce to hastily replace French-born railway workers, mainly executives, who had left Algeria. In 1963, the full Algerian operation of the network took place thanks to a few engineers and supervisors who met this challenge. However, that year, passenger and freight traffic represented only 68% and 51% respectively compared to 1960.[19] For an entire decade, from 1962 to 1972, the SNCFA focused on maintaining its lines and equipment. During this period, narrow-gauge lines were closed either for economic reasons or due to difficulties in maintenance or renewal of rolling stock. The notable exception was the extension of the Annaba to Tébessa line in 1966, covering a length of to the Djebel Onk phosphate mine.French railway equipment was retained for about ten years. It began to be gradually replaced from 1972 onwards:
On March 31, 1976, at the end of the French State's concession, the Algerian State divided the SNCFA into three distinct entities:
A new investment program allowed the construction of of new lines, the doubling of of tracks (from Algiers to Thénia, from El Guerrah to Constantine, and Didouche Mourad), and the renewal of of tracks and ballast.
In 198, the financial crisis led to the dissolution of SNERIF and SIF, with their prerogatives taken over by SNTF, which changed its status in 1990 to become a Public Establishment with Industrial and Commercial Character (EPIC).
During the Algerian Civil War between 1991 and 2002, the network experienced numerous attacks on passengers and sabotage of infrastructure, making its operation difficult and dangerous. However, SNTF and its staff managed to maintain the circulation of passenger and freight trains throughout this period.
At the end of the 20th century the Algerian railway network comprised 4250 km of lines, of which 4219 km were operational, with characteristics described in the table below.
| Electrification | Number of tracks | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Gauge | Electrified | Double Tracks | |||
| Narrow Gauge | Not Electrified | Single Track | |||
In the early 2000s, after the challenging period of the civil war, the Algerian government and SNTF (National Railway Company) initiated programs to modernize the railway network.
In 2005 the National Agency for Studies and Monitoring of Railway Investment (ANESRIF) was established to manage a new public investment program with the goal of expanding the network to by 2025.[20] In the late 2000s and early 2010s, the Algiers suburban lines were electrified, and nearly of new lines were commissioned:
Concurrently with the modernization and expansion of its network, SNTF began renewing its passenger rolling stock by acquiring diesel, electric, or diesel-electric automotor trains to replace trains composed of old passenger cars pulled by diesel locomotives. The acquisitions included:
In 2015, out of a program for new lines, were under construction, with the majority focused on the western part of the Rocade des Hauts Plateaux.
On September 10, 2018, ANESRIF inaugurated the GSM-R railway telecommunication system for the first time in Africa. This telecommunication system aims to secure communications on an autonomous network between the center in Algiers and trains, as well as between trains and operators responsible for maintaining the network.[26]
In the late 2010s and early 2020s the Algerian railway network expanded with the opening of lines: