Algeria announced on Jan. 5 that it had completed the construction of the 575 km Western Mining Railway, Africa’s first heavy-haul desert railway. The project, jointly constructed by China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) and Algerian state-owned partners in extreme Sahara desert terrain, is the largest single infrastructure project built by a Chinese firm in Algeria. Algeria is both a member of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and, in 2025, became a member of the New Development Bank, the key multilateral bank of the BRICS.
Track laying of the flagship Algerian BRI project was completed three months ahead of schedule, with construction crews working for more than 24 months under harsh desert conditions. The completed railway will handle 32.5-tonne axle-load freight trains as well as passenger services of up to 160 kph and some 40 stations. Technologically the project introduced Algeria’s first CPG500 track-laying machine and automated welding technology, which can lay ties and track up to a length of 500 meters at a time. The project includes the 6 km PK330 heavy-haul bridge in Tindouf Province, the longest of its kind in Africa.
