ALGERIAN National Railways (SNTF) has signed a contract worth around Dinars 14bn (€110m) with national rolling stock manufacturer Ferrovial to acquire 800 wagons for the transport of phosphate. The deal forms part of preparations for the operation of the 422km Eastern Mining Line between Djebel Onk and Annaba via Bled El Hadba and Tébessa, a route that is being upgraded for Algerian mineral exports.
The wagons will give SNTF an annual transport capacity of around 13.6 million tonnes once the full fleet is in service. The first batch of 200 wagons is due to be delivered in July, followed by another 300 wagons in 2027 and a final tranche of 300 by mid-2028, in line with the planned commissioning of the upgraded line at the end of next year.
The wagon contract, line upgrade and expansion of the port of Annaba are the key components of Algeria’s strategy to turn phosphate into a major driver of non-hydrocarbon exports.
The upgrade of the Eastern Mining Line includes track doubling and renewals, and improvements to earthworks, tunnels and bridges.
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