Algeria unveils $18.5B rail expansion plan

ALGIERS, Algeria (MNTV) — Algeria has outlined an ambitious railway development strategy backed by Dinars 2.4 trillion (approximately $US 18.5 billion), according to Nabil Boubaya, central director of the National Railway Investment Design and Implementation Supervision Agency (Anesrif), in a recent national radio interview.

Boubaya explained that the national rail network has grown from roughly 4,000 km to 5,738 km in recent years under the current investment programme. 

The substantial funding package is intended to both rehabilitate existing lines and expand rail connectivity into underserved regions.

Rail authorities see the upgraded and extended network as a cornerstone of Algeria’s efforts to cut logistics costs, improve passenger services and strengthen regional economic integration, aligning with the country’s broader transportation modernization agenda.

A key component of the programme is the Laghouat – Ghardaïa – El Menéa line, a 495 km route currently under construction by Anesrif. This project, highlighted by the railway news portal Railway Supply, is designed to link central and southern Algeria more effectively.

Last month, the African Development Bank (AfDB) approved a €747.3 million loan to support the first phase of the Laghouat–Ghardaïa–El Menéa railway. 

AfDB officials said the investment is expected to stimulate economic activity in southern Algeria by facilitating easier movement of agricultural and industrial goods to major markets.

Abdoulkader Dileita, AfDB’s country manager for Algeria, noted that the new rail link is poised to transform economic dynamics in the region over the long term, strengthening connectivity and market access for local producers.