China-built railway plant starts operating in Algeria

The Western Algeria Mining Railway is a key project under the Belt and Road Initiative, and it represents the largest project undertaken by Chinese companies in Algeria in recent years. The 575-kilometer railway, which links the Bechar and Tindouf provinces and serves the Gara Djebilet iron ore mine, is being jointly developed by CRCC and COSIDER TP, a local Algerian state-owned enterprise. Once completed, the railway will significantly enhance Algeria's national rail network, improving connectivity between mining areas, industrial zones, and ports, and supporting the economic development of southwestern Algeria.

According to Dong Lin, general manager of CRCC's North Africa regional office, the new sleeper plant is the first standardized concrete railway sleeper factory in the Sahara Desert region. Covering an area of 91,000 square meters, the plant is tasked with producing 1.2 million railway sleepers for the project. It features two automated circular sleeper production lines, with a daily output capacity of 1,500 sleepers on a single line and 3,000 sleepers on a double line.

In the design of the sleepers, the project team incorporated various technical innovations, aiming to enhance the stability and durability of the track. These improvements are designed to ensure safe and long-lasting railway operations and reduce maintenance costs. The modified sleepers will be used throughout the entire railway, setting a new standard for rail infrastructure in Algeria.