The Algiers–Oran railway is one of the major components of the

Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...

n railway network. It links Algiers station with

Oran Oran () is a major coastal city located in the northwest of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria, after the capital, Algiers, because of its population and commercial, industrial and cultural importance. It is w ...

. The first segment of the line, connecting Algiers with

Blida Blida () is a city in Algeria. It is the capital of Blida Province, and it is located about 45 km south-west of Algiers, the national capital. The name ''Blida'', i.e. ''bulaydah'', is a diminutive of the Arabic word ''belda'', city. Ge ...

opened on September 8, 1862 and was extended to Oran on May 1, 1871. The

National Company for Rail Transport The National Rail Transportation Company (, , abbreviated SNTF) is Algeria's national railway operator. The SNTF, a state-owned company, currently has a monopoly over Algeria's rail network of , although it is currently utilising only . Out of ...

is converting the entirety of the line to a double-track line.

History

The

– Relizane section was opened to travelers on November 1, 1868 and was extended to Khemis Miliana (called Affreville whilst part of

French Algeria French Algeria ( until 1839, then afterwards; unofficially ; ), also known as Colonial Algeria, was the period of History of Algeria, Algerian history when the country was a colony and later an integral part of France. French rule lasted until ...

) on September 1, 1870. The Algiers–Blida section was extended to Boumedfaâ on July 8, 1869, while the last segment – 29 kilometers from Affreville to Boumedfaâ was – completed on May 1, 1871 and enabled through-service from Algiers to Oran. More recently, the segment of the line from Algiers to

El Affroun El Affroun العفرون البليدة is a town and commune in Blida Province, Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tuni ...

has been electrified to improve

commuter rail Commuter rail or suburban rail is a Passenger train, passenger rail service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Central business district, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter town ...

connecting the two cities.

Line description

Algiers–El Affroun section

The 70-kilometer section from Algiers to El Affroun includes one of the five commuter rail services in the Algiers metropolitan area and is double-track and is electrified (25,000 volt). This section is the busiest in the entirety of SNTF network, with 130 passenger trains a day using the 10-kilometer Algiers– El Harrach section until the El Harrach wye. Of the 130 passenger trains using the Algiers–El Harrach section, 58 continue west and use the remainder of the Algiers–El Affroun section.

El Affroun–Oran section

The El Affroun–Oran segment is not electrified and is being upgraded from single-track to double-track. In 2015, 77 kilometers between Khemis Miliana and

Chlef Chlef () is the capital of Chlef Province, Algeria. Located in the north of Algeria, west of the capital, Algiers, it was founded in 1843, as Orléansville, on the ruins of Roman ''Castellum Tingitanum''. In 1962, it was renamed al-Asnam, but ...

and 107 kilometers between Yellel and Oran have been double-tracked. Bypasses are being constructed to avoid Khemis Miliana and Relizane traffic for through-trains.

Line description

The line is flat except for the 50 kilometers between El Affroun and Khemis Miliana where the elevation changes from 100 to 500–250 meters above sea level. A 7-kilometer tunnel is being built to more directly connect the Khemis Miliana and Oued Djer portion of this segment.

Speeds on the line

Average speeds for passenger services on the line are 80–90 km/h. Since 2008, SNTF acquired DMUs capable of reaching 160 km/h which are expected to reach their top speed on flat double-track segments of the Algiers–Oran line.

References

{{Reflist Railway lines in Algeria Standard-gauge railways in Algeria

Added references for article