Ouargla tramway

The design studies and project management for the Ouargla tramway were awarded to the French company Systra in 2011,^[3] with detailed design studies being completed later that year.^[4] On 5 November 2012, the déclaration d'utilité publique of the tramway was officially approved.^[5]

In June 2013, the EMA (Entreprise Métro d'Alger) awarded the contract for construction of the tramway to a consortium of three Spanish companies: Rover Alcisa, Elecnor [es], and Assignia.^[3][6][7] The first stone of the tramway project was laid on August 6, 2013,^[8] and full construction of the first phase of the system, from Chenine Kadour to Sid Rouhou over a distance of 9.6 kilometres, began later in November 2013.^[9]

In 2014, 23 Alstom Citadis tram vehicles were ordered to operate on the network,^[10][11] the first of which was delivered on December 20, 2016.^[10][12][13] Commissioning of the tramway was originally meant to take place by the end of 2017,^[10] however this was later delayed to take place in early 2018.

The tramway officially opened for service on March 20, 2018.^{[11][1][14][15]}

The tramway network's only line runs on an east-west alignment over a distance of 9.6 kilometres and 16 stops, making it the shortest tram network in Algeria. It runs from the southern edge of Ouargla's city centre at Sid Rouhou east to the new town of Haï Ennasr via the University of Ouargla and the city's intercity bus terminal.^[2] The line runs almost entirely at-grade, with a dedicated right-of-way in the median or on the side of main roads.^[2] The largest piece of infrastructure on the line is a 40 metre long bridge over the N49 motorway^[9][16] south of Safrani Abdelkader station.

As Ouargla is one of the hottest inhabited places on earth,^[2] the tramway has some special features in order to withstand the conditions found in the city. The rails of the tramway are made from R260 type steel,^[2] which is designed to be resilient to rough conditions, while the tram depot is also air-conditioned^[4] in order to cool off the trams, which are swapped on the hottest days of the year.^[2] Additionally, the tracks are cleaned every day of sand blown in from the desert using a specialised vehicle equipped with powerful suction nozzles.^[2]

The tram uses standard-gauge (1435 mm) tracks, and electricity is supplied by a 750 V DC overhead wire.^[2] The depot and maintenance centre is located near the Gare Multimodale station.

The stations are listed from west to east:

The tramway fleet consists of 23 7-section Alstom Citadis 402 vehicles.^[2]

Ordered in 2014, the trams were locally assembled as kits by the Cital [fr] joint-venture in Annaba.^[11] The first tram was delivered on the 20th of December 2016,^[10][12][13] and delivery continued until 2018.^[2] Like the tram line itself, the vehicles have also been specially adapted in order to withstand the desert conditions. The trams have reinforced air-conditioning, sun-repellent coating, and insulated mechanical components, including the pantograph, shock absorbers, motors, joints, and brakes, in order to keep the most sensitive parts of the vehicles protected from blown sand and high temperatures.^[10][2] The low-floor trams are around 44 metres long, and have a capacity of over 400 passengers.^[10]

As of early 2025, there are three extensions planned for the network:^[2]

• Sid Rouhou - Ksar (loop line, 2.8 km)
• Sid Rouhou - El Hadeb (5 km)
• Chenine Kadour - Bamendil (4 km)

The loop line from Sid Rouhou to the Ksar (old town) was included with the initial plans for the tram network, however its construction was not included in the first phase. Switches and tracks for the line south to El Hadeb have already been installed,^[2] however all lines remain in the planning phase, with no set date for the start of construction.