Alstom tram line for Ouargla, Algeria
French multinational Alstom has completed the first tram line for the city of Sétif, in Algeria.
The Algerian Minister of Public Works and Transport Abdelghani Zalaaneon on Tuesday inaugurated the tram line, in the presence of Enterprise Métro d’Alger (EMA) president and CEO Omar Hadbi, and Alstom Algeria MD Mahdy Rouibi.
EMA in March 2014 awarded the contract to establish Sétif’s first tram line to the group of companies comprising rail engineering and construction company Yapi Merkezi and Alstom.
Alstom provided the signalling and telecommunications system, the supervisory control and data acquisition system, centralised traffic control, the high-voltage substation, as well as the equipment for the electrical substations, ticketing and overhead contact line.
The 15.2-km-long tram line will service the city’s eastern districts, the city centre, the 8 May 1945 Stadium, the city’s bus station and the universities Ferhat Abbas I and II, as well as El-Bez.
Rouibi commented that, following the commissioning of the tram line in the city of Ouargla, in March, this second inauguration reinforces the commitment of Alstom’s teams and confirms the reliability of its solutions to build a lasting partnership with customers.
The 26 Citadis trams for the tram line were assembled by Cital – a joint venture between Alstom, EMA and Spanish multinational Ferrovial – in the Annaba factory in Algeria. The Citadis trams are 44-m long and can transport up to 302 passengers.
Additionally, the Citadis tram’s full low floor and 12 side doors will facilitate passenger flows and access for all, particularly those with reduced mobility.
Alstom has been present in Algeria for 30 years and has provided integrated tramway systems for the cities of Algiers, Oran and Constantine, as well as the system for Ouargla.