Algeria has started initial operational tests on the 950-km Bechar-Tindouf-Gara Djebilet mining railway, a key infrastructure project supporting development of the Gara Djebilet iron ore mine, according to the National Agency for Studies and Monitoring the Accomplishment of Railway Investments (ANESRIF).
Preliminary technical trials began this week using a specially equipped locomotive, with ANESRIF Director General Azzedine Fridi leading a test journey between Tindouf and Bechar. The project, launched in late 2023, includes the construction of passenger and freight stations along the route to facilitate ore transport from the mine.
The railway has been built mainly by Algerian contractors alongside China’s China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC), with final works nearing completion ahead of commissioning expected later this month.
Gara Djebilet hosts estimated reserves of 3.5 bln tons of iron ore. In parallel, Algeria is advancing construction of its first iron concentrate plant, developed by Feraal, a subsidiary of state-owned mining firm, Sonarem, in partnership with Tosyali. The facility is set to start with 4 mln tons per year of capacity, rising to 10 mln tons by 2032, producing higher-grade, low-phosphorus concentrate.
