TUNISIA: Line D of the Tunis Réseau Ferroviaire Rapide suburban rail network was launched on January 25, with 10 000 passengers carried on the first day.
The 13·2 km nine-station line developed at cost of €373m links Tunis Barcelone station with Gobâa, using the alignment of national railway SNCFT’s existing standard gauge route. The start of services enables people in the northwest of the urban area to reach the city centre in about 20% to 25% of time taken by bus.
Construction was undertaken by consortium of Colas Rail, Siemens and local partner Somatra-Get, and Systra was responsible for project management. Line D includes 5·5 km shared with Line E which was launched in March 2023 and carried 7 million passengers last year.
The RFR network is operated by 28 four-car electric multiple-units supplied by Hyundai Rotem.
A network of five RFR lines totalling 85 km is planned. An extension to Mnihla will take Line D to 19·2 km, and the next stage of development will include updating studies for the planned lines C and F.
| Tunis RFR Line D financing, €m | |
|---|---|
| Tunisian state budget | 145 |
| European Union grant | 28 |
| European Investment Bank loan | 119 |
| German development bank KfW loan | 47 |
| French development agency AFD loan | 34 |
