Algeria has officially opened a new rail line that links the remote southwest to the Mediterranean, a move with important implications for economic development, regional integration, and the future of its mining sector. On February 1, 2026, authorities inaugurated the line connecting Béchar to Gara Djebilet in Tindouf province over 956 kilometers, effectively tying Tindouf and its giant iron ore deposit into the national rail grid and, through Oran and other coastal cities, to export ports on the Mediterranean.
Algeria wants that line to become the backbone of a new economic corridor. The line is engineered for heavy freight, with an axle load of 32.5 tons, allowing it to move large volumes of iron ore and other bulk commodities such as fuels and grains, alongside passenger traffic. Technical specifications were adapted to local conditions, with reinforced concrete sleepers designed to handle both heavy-freight trains and passenger trains capable of speeds up to 160 kilometers per hour. For a country seeking to monetize its mineral resources and reduce dependence on hydrocarbons, connecting Gara Djebilet to the Mediterranean by rail is a strategic step.
Officials describe the project as a shift from a simple point‑to‑point railway to a full‑fledged economic, social, and geostrategic corridor. The vision is to create a 2,000‑kilometer chain linking Tindouf’s mining zones to industrial areas and northern ports, with Béchar and Oran as key nodes. That corridor should make it possible to extract, process, and export iron ore and its derivatives at scale while also supporting inland industrial sites and supplying domestic markets with fuels and cereals. In practice, the line also opens up sparsely populated regions to more reliable transport, employment, and services, anchoring them more firmly to the rest of the country.
The freight plan illustrates how quickly Algeria intends to ramp up exploitation of Gara Djebilet. This year (2026), the national rail operator (SNTF) plans to move around 500,000 tons of iron ore using 34‑wagon freight trains hauled by high‑power locomotives, with trainloads exceeding 2,000 tons each. Next year, annual volume is expected to reach one million tons. From 2028 onward, the model changes dramatically, with “heavy and long” trains of about 170 wagons and a total length of roughly 2.2 kilometers. This timeline coincides with the start‑up of a processing plant at Toumiat near Béchar and a pre‑treatment unit at Gara Djebilet, meaning more of the value‑added work will happen inside Algeria before material moves north.
To support this, SNTF has drawn up a large‑scale investment plan. The initial operating phase relies on refurbished and repurposed rolling stock: 120 freight wagons and six powerful locomotives, overhauled in domestic workshops at Sidi Bel Abbès, Mohammadia, and Rouiba. The company has recruited 554 employees for the new line, now in training. For the second phase, starting in 2028, SNTF plans to spend about 258 billion dinars on new equipment, including 5,000 freight wagons and 60 high‑power locomotives. Additional purchases include four locomotives and 21 coaches for passenger service and 15 shunting locomotives to manage operations in yards and sidings. The long‑term goal is to create a robust logistics system able to move tens of millions of tons of iron products from the Sahara to the Mediterranean.
Passenger service is built into the project from the start, signaling that the state sees this as more than a mining line. SNTF plans two simultaneous passenger trains, one departing Tindouf, the other Béchar, with 260 seats each, divided into first and second class and including a dining car and basic comfort amenities. The initial journey time between Béchar and Tindouf is about 11 hours at a top speed of 80 kilometers per hour, with plans to raise passenger speeds to 120 kilometers per hour within two months, cutting travel time to around 8 hours. Freight trains, moving loads close to 20,000 tons, will run slower, around 50 kilometers per hour, for trips of roughly 20 hours.
Ticket pricing reflects an attempt to make the line usable for ordinary travelers. A second‑class ticket between Béchar and Tindouf starts at 1,175 dinars, with first‑class fares at 1,490 dinars. The trains will run daily in both directions, and passengers in Tindouf will be able to buy through‑tickets to Oran, Algiers, and even Tunisia, with options for online booking and reservations. This integration with the broader network is politically important, signaling to residents of Tindouf and the wider southwest that they are now directly connected to the country’s main economic and administrative centers, rather than being a distant frontier outpost.
Operationally, the line includes eight stations, Béchar, Abadla, Hammaguir, Tabelbala, Hassi Khebi, Oum El Assel, Tindouf, and Gara Djebilet, with a mix of passenger‑and‑freight and passenger‑only facilities. It was built as a single‑track line, but Algerian railways already operate 86% of their 5,000‑kilometer network on single track, using signaling and telecommunications systems that allow for safe crossings and passing. On this corridor, 28 passing loops and sidings are installed to handle train meets and overtakes. SNTF’s operating study envisages 20 trains per day in both directions: eight iron‑ore trains, each carrying about 17,000 tons, for a daily ore volume of roughly 136,000 tons; one train for mixed freight such as fuels and grains; and one dedicated passenger train, with room to adjust as demand grows.
Beyond the initial ore flows, the industrial roadmap extends into the next decade. Raw iron ore will move from Gara Djebilet to the Toumiat plant at Béchar, where it will be transformed into concentrate and pellets. These semi‑finished products will then head north for further processing and export. A separate unit planned for 2031, with a capacity of more than 30 million tons, is expected to produce higher‑value iron products such as briquettes, billets, and slabs, destined for Algerian ports and international markets. This architecture, comprised of mine, pre‑treatment, processing, and port, depends on the rail link as its spine.
The environment in which the line operates is harsh: much of the route crosses desert terrain prone to sand encroachment on tracks and rolling stock. To keep the system running, SNTF plans two maintenance depots in Tindouf and Gara Djebilet dedicated to locomotives and wagons, with routines tailored to sand, heat, and mechanical wear. This investment in maintenance capacity is essential if the corridor is to function reliably enough for long‑term industrial planning and export contracts.
By tying a remote mining frontier into its coastal export infrastructure, Algeria is betting that iron ore and downstream steel products can become a second pillar alongside hydrocarbons. The line strengthens state control over a sensitive border region, creates jobs in some of Algeria’s most isolated areas, and offers a land‑based alternative to purely road‑borne logistics. It also positions Algeria as a potential supplier of iron and steel products to Mediterranean and global markets at a time when supply security and diversification are high on the agenda in Europe, the Middle East, and beyond.
