Tunisia - General Information: Difference between revisions

From EGTRE
Jump to navigationJump to search
Line 73: Line 73:
The branch from Les Salines, on the Tunis - Kalaa Khasba line, to (Le) Kef was reopened in 2011 after a gap of 19 years, with one Autorail Express each way from/to Tunis Ville.
The branch from Les Salines, on the Tunis - Kalaa Khasba line, to (Le) Kef was reopened in 2011 after a gap of 19 years, with one Autorail Express each way from/to Tunis Ville.


It was reported that agreement had been reached to reinstate passenger services between Tunisia and Algeria over the Ghardimaou - Sidi El-Hémissi  border crossing. The official announcement was alledgedly to take place at the Maghreb Summit in Tunis in May or June 2012. Although nothing more has been heard of this plan, passenger trains run to Ghardimaou on the Tunisian side and to Sidi El-Hémissi on the Algerian side.
It was reported that agreement had been reached to reinstate passenger services between Tunisia and Algeria over the Ghardimaou - Sidi El-Hémissi  border crossing. Passenger trains run to Ghardimaou on the Tunisian side and to Sidi El-Hémissi on the Algerian side. The official announcement was alledgedly to have taken place at the Maghreb Summit in Tunis in May or June 2012. A proposed resumption was announced by the head of SNCFT in November 2015 but this depends on negotiations with Algeria.


A tourist service (''La Rose des Sables'') was due to start in February 2015, covering the non-passenger Kalaâ Kasbah - Kasserine line. Other routes are planned to be added in later years.
A tourist service (''La Rose des Sables'') was due to start in February 2015, covering the non-passenger Kalaâ Kasbah - Kasserine line. Other routes are planned to be added in later years.

Revision as of 17:55, 9 November 2015

Country Name

Tunisia (Tunisie)

National railway system

La Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Tunisiens (SNCFT)

Official Website

www.sncft.com.tn Note that the English version is marked as "Under construction".

Language

Arabic and French.

Currency

Tunisian Dinar, symbol TND.

UIC code

Numeric 91; alpha TN

Timetable

Journey Planner

Downloadable Timetable

Printed Timetable

No book for the whole network seems to be available, but printed leaflets for individual routes are available at many stations.

Engineering Information

None.

Maps

Printed Maps

There is no currently available published map of Tunisian Railways. A hand drawn map of the Tunis area is available.

Web-based Maps

A rudimentary system map is available on the Réseau web page. Note that the list and map show all routes, regardless of whether or not they have passenger services.

Gauge

Standard and Metre.

Electrification

  • 25 kV 50Hz SNCFT: Sousse – Mahdia and Tunis Ville – Erriadh.
  • 650V dc? TGM: Tunis Marine – La Marsa.

Rule of the road

Left on SNCFT; right on TGM.

Other Railways

Tunis - Goulette - Marsa (TGM): Electrified standard gauge suburban route from Tunis Marine to La Marsa Plage, owned and operated by the Société des transports de Tunis (Transtu).

Tourist Lines

None, although private tourist services operate over the SNCFT metre gauge line from Metaloui to the scenic Selja gorge.("Le Lezard Rouge").

Metro

None.

Trams

Tunis.

Recent and future changes

In recent years, there has been considerable investment in the metre gauge lines to the south of Tunis. For example, a line avoiding Sousse was opened in 2004 which eliminates a level crossing and street running in Sousse city centre. A number of cut offs and deviations have also been built e.g. north of Bir Bouregba. The Sahel (= coast) suburban service from Sousse Bab Jedid to Mahdia has been reopened and improved. The overhead lines on the intensively worked metre gauge suburban route from Tunis Ville to Erriadh were energised on 10 August 2011.

The Tinja - Menzel Bourguiba line lost its passenger service some years ago.

There are long term plans to build a standard gauge route from Libya to Gabes in south eastern Tunisia.

The branch from Les Salines, on the Tunis - Kalaa Khasba line, to (Le) Kef was reopened in 2011 after a gap of 19 years, with one Autorail Express each way from/to Tunis Ville.

It was reported that agreement had been reached to reinstate passenger services between Tunisia and Algeria over the Ghardimaou - Sidi El-Hémissi border crossing. Passenger trains run to Ghardimaou on the Tunisian side and to Sidi El-Hémissi on the Algerian side. The official announcement was alledgedly to have taken place at the Maghreb Summit in Tunis in May or June 2012. A proposed resumption was announced by the head of SNCFT in November 2015 but this depends on negotiations with Algeria.

A tourist service (La Rose des Sables) was due to start in February 2015, covering the non-passenger Kalaâ Kasbah - Kasserine line. Other routes are planned to be added in later years.

Special Notes

Note that travel to some parts of Tunisia is not advised; see the UK Government Foreign travel advice website.

Freight services operate over the standard gauge route into Algeria via Ghardimaou but there are no cross-border passenger services as at February 2015; see Recent and Future Changes above.