The Gara Djebilet–Tindouf–Béchar western railway was officially inaugurated on Sunday, marking a major milestone in Algeria’s national infrastructure development. Spanning 950 kilometers, the strategic rail link is designed to support passenger services at speeds of up to 160 km/h and freight transport at 80 km/h, strengthening connectivity across the country’s southwestern regions.
Launched in November 2023, the project was completed on December 31, 2025, five months ahead of the June 2026 contractual deadline, within an execution period of 25 months. Key stages included the inauguration of the 100 km Béchar–Abadla section in April 2025 and the completion of the 135 km Tindouf–Gara Djebilet section on July 5, 2025. Once operational, the railway will handle daily traffic of 24 mineral freight trains, alongside two passenger trains and two general freight services.
From a technical standpoint, the project involved the laying of more than 1,026 km of track and extensive earthworks exceeding 70 million cubic meters. The infrastructure includes 45 major railway bridges totaling over 20 km—most notably the 4.11 km Oued Daoura bridge—50 road underpasses and overpasses, and seven stations serving Abadla, Hamaguir, Tabelbala, Hassi Khebi, Oum El Assel, Tindouf, and Gara Djebilet. Built with a workforce of 11,457 employees and supported by 38 prefabrication workshops and hundreds of material extraction sites, the project highlights Algeria’s growing capacity to deliver large-scale strategic infrastructure.
