It has been stopped in its tracks once before. When oil prices fell in the early 1980s, the Algiers Metro was dropped from the government’s project schedule. Now, even though oil producers like Algeria are once again preparing for leaner times ahead, the Metro has advanced beyond the point of cancellation. Services under the city, linking 10 stations along a 9km underground route, are set to begin at the end of August 2009.


Entreprise du Métro d’Alger (EMA) has tapped the professionalism of France’s RATP Développement – a subsidiary of the Paris Metro operator – to work the line. In turn, RATP has hired Siemens Transportation Systems France to maintain much of the essential equipment, including signalling and communications. Siemens has already been involved in providing the tracks and electrification plus fare collection and operational control equipment. As much of the tunnelling was done at an earlier time, France’s Vinci CGP took on the task of completing the Metro stations, installing tunnel ventilation and other infrastructure, while Spain’s CAF has been supplying the 14 trains that will deliver the service to around 40,000 commuters who are likely to use it each day.


EMA has also contracted a consortium led by Alstom to launch a tram system heading east out of the city from El Annasser to Bordj El Kiffan, along a 16km track with 30 stations. This could serve much larger numbers of people than the Metro, with current estimates at 185,000 passengers a day. Both the Metro and the tramway are meant to be extended once consumer demand grows in the future. And Algeria’s other large cities of Oran and Constantine are building tramways too.

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