Phase 1 (Ras Jedir – Gabès, 180 km): Construction of a new line between Ras Jedir on the Tunisian-Libyan border and Gabès with an electrified double track allowing a top speed of 250 km/h for passenger trains and 120 km/h for freight trains. This first phase will use, to the extent possible, the same track as for the upcoming Gabès – Médenine railway lin
Description
The Tunisia High Speed Rail Line is part of the Trans-Maghreb High Speed Rail Network, a regional project aiming at connecting the main cities of the Maghreb countries, namely: Casablanca, Algiers, Tunis and Tripoli. The Tunisian section of the high-speed rail (HSR) network covers a total length of 840 km.
History
In June 2021, President Saïed attempted to secure a loan from the European Investment Bank to finance the project. It was refused, since the country had borrowed 7 billion TND ($2.3 billion) during the previous decade; the bank suggested upgrading existing rail infrastructure instead