After being closed for 30 years, the railway link between Algeria and Tunisia was reopened yesterday. The 357 km railway was first suspended in 1995 due to security concerns, and again in 2003 due to technical issues. The National Company for Rail Transport in Algeria announced the resumption of services, with the inaugural commercial journey departing from Tunis yesterday. It will initially offer one daily service between Annaba, Algeria and Tunis, passing through several cities in both countries, reported Sputnik Africa.
These are some of the missing links in the long-proposed trans-African railway along the Mediterranean coast, which is intended to connect Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. While there are tracks linking Morocco and Algeria, that railway has ceased operating since the 1990s for political reasons. However, Morocco has expressed interest in extending its high-speed railway to Algeria. Also, Libya is in the process of restarting its railway projects, and Egypt intends to extend its railway line to the Libyan border.