UPGRADING OF TUNISIAN RAILWAY SYSTEM

An important opportunity to transfer Italferr's know-how to Tunisia in order to guarantee the country a future of railway system development with international and interoperable standards and maximum levels of safety and attention to the environment.

Italferr, in partnership with Comete (a leading Tunisian engineering company), was awarded in February 2021 by the Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Tunisiens (SNCFT) the contract for Project Verification and Procurement Assistance activities for the modernisation of railway lines No. 22 (Sousse-Mahdia) and No. 6 (Tunis-Kasserine). The project includes rail infrastructure upgrades such as track doubling, track renovation, electrification, station rehabilitation, new signalling and telecommunication systems, and rolling stock procurement. These activities, lasting about 36 months, aim at a substantial improvement in the capacity and performance of the Tunisian rail network with a view to the development of the country's infrastructure so as to ensure greater safety and sustainability of transport.

The work mainly concerns the integration of projects carried out for the different technology components, support in the definition of technology choices and procurement strategy, preparation of tender documents and assistance up to the awarding of construction contracts and construction directions for the 2 rail lines, as well as the provision of specific training of SNCFT personnel in rail technologies.

The project follows the one already developed in the country as part of the feasibility study of the Trans-Maghreb line, completed in 2018, and confirms Italferr's presence in the Tunisian market, which in the coming years envisages substantial investments in the modernisation of the infrastructure sector.

The activities envisaged under the 36-month contract are currently underway.