Ramdane Djamel–Annaba railway

The Ramdane Djamel–Annaba railway is a railway connecting Annaba Province to the Algiers–Skikda railway and the rest of the Algerian rail network. Currently 96 kilometers long, it is the oldest railway in the country.

Ramdane Djamel–Annaba railway
Annaba station, the eastern terminus of the railway.
Overview
Stations	4
Service
Type	Heavy rail
System	SNTF
History
Opened	1 September 1859 (1859-09-01)
Last extension	1904
Technical
Line length	96[1] km (60 mi)
Number of tracks	Single track
Track gauge	1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge
Electrification	none
Operating speed	45 km/h (28 mph)
Route map

History

An 11 kilometer segment of the current railway started construction in 1853 and opened on September 1, 1859 for cargo operations in the immediate vicinity of Annaba.

The railway first opened for passenger service in 1885 and had all its segments joined in 1904. Since 2006, the line is being upgraded by the National Company for Rail Transport.

Double-tracking work commenced in 2006 in order to facilitate long-distance travel connecting with the Algiers–Skikda railway and includes 27 kilometers of new alignment, two tunnels measuring a total of 2 kilometers, and station reconstruction in the towns of Azzaba and Berrahal. The work is being performed by Obrascón Huarte Lain for approximately €200 million.^[2]

Description

The railway is single-track and not electrified. It has a total of four stations: Annaba, Berrahal, Azzaba, and Ramdane Djamel. Services average 40-50 km/h.

Services

One night train connects Algiers station to Annaba, taking 10 hours over 630 kilometers using the Algiers–Skikda railway and the Ramdane Djamel–Annaba railway. Only freight service operates between Annaba and Skikda.