Algeria has opened Africa’s first heavy-haul railway built across desert terrain, a 950-kilometre line designed to transport iron ore and passengers across the country’s southwest, officials said on Sunday.
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced the start of operations for the Western Mining Railway at a ceremony in the southwestern province of Bechar, marking a milestone in Algeria’s transport and mining infrastructure development.
The railway is intended to strengthen Algeria’s national rail network while improving connectivity in sparsely populated desert regions that have long faced logistical constraints. Authorities say the project will support economic activity, particularly mining, while also offering passenger services to communities along the route.
According to Algerian officials, the railway will have the capacity to transport up to 50 million tonnes of iron ore per year, making it a key artery for the development of mineral resources in the country’s southwest. In addition to freight, the line is expected to meet passenger transport needs and reduce travel times between remote areas and urban centres.
The project spans about 950 km, of which roughly 575 km were built by China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) in partnership with Algerian state-owned companies. It represents the largest infrastructure project undertaken by a Chinese company in Algeria, local media reported.
Construction was completed in about 24 months despite the harsh conditions of the Sahara Desert, where extreme temperatures, sandstorms and remote terrain posed major technical and logistical challenges. More than 8,000 workers, including both Algerian and Chinese personnel, were involved in the project.
Officials said the railway set new benchmarks for railway construction in Algeria, particularly in desert environments, and demonstrated the feasibility of large-scale heavy-haul infrastructure in extreme conditions.
The Western Mining Railway is part of Algeria’s broader strategy to modernise its transport infrastructure and diversify its economy by improving access to mining regions. Algeria holds significant iron ore reserves, notably in the Gara Djebilet deposit near the border with Mauritania, which authorities aim to develop as a cornerstone of future mineral exports.
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China has played an expanding role in Algeria’s infrastructure sector over the past two decades, building highways, ports, housing and energy facilities as part of broader economic cooperation between the two countries. The railway adds to a growing portfolio of Chinese-backed projects in North Africa.
Analysts say the line could help reduce transport costs for bulk commodities, improve export competitiveness and stimulate development in underserved regions, provided mining projects reach scale and supporting infrastructure is completed.
Algerian authorities did not disclose the total cost of the railway project but said it would contribute to long-term economic growth by linking mineral-rich areas with industrial zones and ports.
With the opening of the Western Mining Railway, Algeria becomes the first country in Africa to operate a heavy-haul railway designed specifically for desert conditions, a development officials say could reshape logistics and mining across the region.
