Anesrif
Encyclopedia
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, to expand and modernise the Algerian railway system.
Name
Anesrif's full name, in FrenchFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, is Agence nationale d’études et de suivi de la réalisation des investissements ferroviaires. This translates as "National agency for the planning and implementation of railway investments".
Purpose
Anesrif was founded by the government of AlgeriaAlgeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
on 20 July 2005, in order to plan and invest in the expansion and modernisation of the country's railways, under the supervision of the Minister of Transport. 900 billion dinars
Algerian dinar
The dinar is the currency of Algeria and it is subdivided into 100 santeem .-History:The dinar was introduced on 1 April 1964, replacing the Algerian new franc at par.-Coins:...
of funding was allocated. SNTF
SNTF
National company for rail transport is Algeria's national railway operator. The SNTF, a state-owned company, currently has a monopoly over Algeria's network of , even though it is currently exploiting only...
handles the day-to-day operation of the railways. Other businesses, including Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
and Astaldi
Astaldi
Astaldi SpA is a major construction company based in Rome, Italy. The group is active in the fields of civil, hydraulic, electromechanical and environmental engineering, and transportation and infrastructure.-History:...
, bid for contracts to actually build new lines or install equipment.
Anesrif is headquartered in Algiers
Algiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
, and it is structured as an Établissement Public à caractère Industriel et Commercial, or "EPIC"; SNTF
SNTF
National company for rail transport is Algeria's national railway operator. The SNTF, a state-owned company, currently has a monopoly over Algeria's network of , even though it is currently exploiting only...
is an EPIC too. It is an affiliate of the UIC
International Union of Railways
The UIC , or International Union of Railways, is an international rail transport industry body.- Brief history :The railways of Europe originated as separate concerns. There were many border changes after World War I and the Treaty of Versailles. Colonial railways were the responsibility of the...
.
Development of Algerian railways, as with aviation, road, and water transport, has been overshadowed by big high-profile projects which are an inefficient use of resources; private sector investment is minimal and productivity of assets and employees is low. This causes problems for the rest of the economy.
Algeria has a 2009-14 economic development plan which allocates €110 billion for infrastructure improvements. However, there are concerns about the government's ability to manage the new capacity, and to put it to good use. Rail development has been based on very old plans - even dating back to the 1970s - assuming demands from heavy industries which never materialised.
Projects
- Anesrif is developing the High Plateau lineHigh Plateau lineThe High Plateau line is network of railway lines under construction across Algeria. The project is managed by Anesrif.-Route:The route runs 1200 km from Tebessa in the east to Moulay Slissen in the west, via Tiaret and M'Sila, through a sparsely populated area bordering the Atlas mountains...
, a new railway line spanning Algeria from east to west, supplementing the existing coastal railway; - A railway from TlemcenTlemcenTlemcen is a town in Northwestern Algeria, and the capital of the province of the same name. It is located inland in the center of a region known for its olive plantations and vineyards...
to the Moroccan border at at Akid Abbas. The border with Morocco has been closed since 1994, but there is pressure to reopen the border to travellers. - A southern loop line, connecting Hassi MessaoudHassi MessaoudHassi Messaoud is a town in Ouargla province, southeast Algeria, north Africa. Oil was discovered there in 1956 and the town's prominence has grown rapidly since then. It is an oil refinery town named after the first oil well. A water well, dug in 1917, can be found on the airport side of town...
- OuarglaOuarglaOuargla is the capital city of Ouargla province, in the Sahara Desert, in southern Algeria. It has a flourishing oil industry, and hosts one of Algeria's universities. The city had a population of 129,402 in 1998 ....
- GhardaiaGhardaïaGhardaïa is the capital city of Ghardaïa Province, Algeria. The commune of Ghardaïa has a population of 104,645, with 82,500 in the main city according to 2005 estimates. It is located in northern-central Algeria in the Sahara Desert and lies along the left bank of the Wadi Mzab...
- LaghouatLaghouatLaghouat is the capital city of the Laghouat Province, Algeria, 400 km south of the Algerian capital Algiers in the Atlas Mountains. As of 2005, the population of the city was 126,291 inhabitants. Nearby, in Hassi R'Mel, there is the largest natural gas reserve in Africa.The city was founded in...
- DjelfaDjelfaDjelfa is the capital city of Djelfa province, Algeria. It has a population of 154,265 . The city lies at the junction of the N1 and the N46....
. - Modernisation and doubling of several existing lines, including BirtoutaBirtoutaBirtouta is a town and commune in Algiers Province, Algeria. As of 1998, the commune had a total population of 21,808.-References:...
- ZéraldaZéraldaZeralda is a suburb of the city of Algiers in northern Algeria....
.
New lines are at the planning stage
- BécharBécharBéchar , formerly known as Colomb-Béchar, is a capital city of Béchar Province, Algeria. The area is controlled by Algeria, though claims have also been made on it by Morocco. In 1998 the city had a population of 134,954....
- MécheriaMécheriaMécheria is a small city situated in Naâma Province, Algeria in the Atlas mountains, capital of Mécheria District.- Railway :Mecheria is served by a narrow gauge railway from Mohammedia, however, replacing it with a standard gauge line has been proposed....
- Redjem; - High speed line from Bordj bou ArréridjBordj Bou ArreridjBordj Bou Arréridj population 140,000 , is the capital city of Bordj Bou Arréridj Province, Algeria. It is situated 148 miles by road east of Algiers, near the Hodnar Massif in the southern Kabylia Mountains, at an elevation of 916 metres....
- Khemis MilianaKhemis MilianaKhemis Miliana is a town in northern Algeria....
; - BoumedfaâBoumedfaâBoumedfaa is a town in northern Algeria....
- DjelfaDjelfaDjelfa is the capital city of Djelfa province, Algeria. It has a population of 154,265 . The city lies at the junction of the N1 and the N46....
, connecting to the southern loop line - Hassi MessaoudHassi MessaoudHassi Messaoud is a town in Ouargla province, southeast Algeria, north Africa. Oil was discovered there in 1956 and the town's prominence has grown rapidly since then. It is an oil refinery town named after the first oil well. A water well, dug in 1917, can be found on the airport side of town...
- TouggourtTouggourtTouggourt is a city in Ouargla Province, Algeria, built around an oasis in the Sahara. It is notable for its date trees. It was formerly surrounded by a moat, which the French filled up. The surrounding oasis is very fertile. From Touggourt a road 61 miles long leads across the desert north-east...
.