BUSINESS

China-Built Railway Opens to Unlock Giant Algerian Iron Ore Mine

Published: Feb. 6, 2026 1:36 a.m. GMT+8

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The 950-km railway connects Algeria’s resource-rich interior to its coastal industrial hubs. Photo: VCG

A Chinese-built heavy-haul railway has opened in Algeria, a strategic project designed to unlock one of the world’s largest iron ore mines and bolster the North African nation’s efforts to diversify its economy away from an overreliance on natural gas exports.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced the project’s official operation at a ceremony held on Sunday in the southwestern province of Bechar, stating that the project is expected to transform the country’s southern region and advance national economic goals.

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A Chinese-built heavy-haul railway opened in Algeria, linking Bechar, Beni Abbes, and Tindouf to the Gara Djebilet iron ore mine (estimated 3.5 billion tons in reserves).
CRCC constructed 575 km of the 950-km railway, Africa’s first desert heavy-haul line, with a 32.5-ton axle load and 50 million tons annual transport capacity.
The project is Algeria’s largest Chinese-built infrastructure, supports economic diversification, and introduced China’s railway technology and sleeper production chain.

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Who’s Who

Sinosteel Group: Sinosteel Group is a Chinese company partnering with an Algerian state-owned firm to develop the Gara Djebilet mine in Algeria. This open-pit mine holds an estimated 3.5 billion tons of iron ore reserves. The mine's development is linked to a new heavy-haul railway, a Belt and Road Initiative project, designed to transport the iron ore.

China Railway Construction Corp. Ltd.: China Railway Construction Corp. Ltd. (CRCC) is a Chinese state-owned enterprise that built 575 kilometers of a 950-kilometer heavy-haul railway in Algeria. This project, completed in 24 months despite extreme desert conditions, represents the largest infrastructure undertaking by a Chinese firm in Algeria and marks Africa's first desert heavy-haul railway.

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