The Algiers suburban rail network (; ) is a commuter rail network serving the region of Algiers, the capital and largest city of Algeria. Operated by the Société Nationale des Transports Ferroviaires (SNTF), Algeria's national railway company, the network consists of seven lines and of track serving 44 stations. The network serves a total of four provinces: Algiers, Blida, Boumerdès, and Tizi Ouzou, and carried 32.6 million passengers in 2018.
History
Origins
The origins of today's suburban network date back to the beginning of rail transport in Algeria, with the opening of the Algiers-Blida line (now part of the larger Algiers-Oran mainline) in 1862 marking the first section of the current network. Later, in 1879, the first section of the Algiers-Skikda mainline opened, thus forming the second part of the commuter network. Suburban services on both of these lines remained mostly unchanged throughout their history, with trains running from Algiers station to El Affroun on the Algiers-Oran line, and to Thénia on the Algiers-Skikda line.
2000s: Modernization Starting in the early 2000s, the SNTF launched a renewal program for the suburban network in order to bring it up to modern standards. This included the replacement of track on much of the network, as well as electrification and the delivery of new rolling stock.
In January 2004, tenders were launched for the electrification of the network, and the contract for the electrification was officially awarded to a consortium of Alstom, Infrarail, and Baticim in June 2004. Later, in 2005, tenders were also launched for the supply of 64 electric multiple-units for operation on the network, the winner of the contract being announced as Stadler Rail in March 2006. The first train of the new fleet was rolled out in January 2008, and arrived in Algiers on May 31, 2008. In November 2008, the electrification of the Algiers-Thénia line was completed, and electrification works on the Algiers-El Affroun line were later also completed in April 2009, after which test running on the network began.Electric services were officially inaugurated on both lines of the network on May 2, 2009, by then-president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, with regular services beginning the next day.
2010s-2020s: Expansion By the turn of the 2010s, the existing rail network had already been fully renewed, and so the SNTF began to expand the network to serve new areas of the Algerian capital.
Although electric services were inaugurated in 2009, diesel-hauled suburban trains were still running while the fleet of EMUs was still being delivered. By the end of 2010, however, the delivery of all 64 EMUs was completed. The last diesel locomotive-hauled suburban train, a Thénia-Algiers service, ran on December 30, 2010.
The first of the new lines was the Birtouta-Zéralda line, which branches off of the Algiers-El Affroun line to serve the northwestern districts of Algiers. Construction on the line began in September 2011, and the line opened on November 1, 2016, with regular services beginning later on December 11, 2016.
In 2008, a project to renew the Thénia-Tizi Ouzou line was started. The line, which had existed since 1886, was operated primarily as a regional railway, however the renovation works integrated the line into the electrified commuter rail system. Additionally, a extension of the line to Oued Aïssi was also included with the project. The first test runs on the newly renovated line occurred on April 3, 2017, and full service began on April 19, 2017, from Thénia to Tizi Ouzou, with the extension to Oued Aïssi later opening on June 6, 2017.
Construction of the network's newest branch, running from Bab Ezzouar to Houari Boumédiène International Airport, began in December 2012. The line opened on April 29, 2019.
On July 6, 2024, service began on the Oued Smar-Gué de Constantine line, enabling trains to run directly from both sides of the network and bypassing the core section in central Algiers. Upon the introduction of the service, trains ran from Réghaïa to both Blida and Zéralda; however in October 2024, trains were reconfigured to run from Thénia to El Affroun and Zéralda.
Network
Overview
As of 2025, the commuter rail network is composed of seven lines and of track, serving 44 stations. Most lines of the network start from either Algiers or Agha in central Algiers and radiate outwards, with a long central section from Agha to El Harrach forming the core section of the network. From El Harrach, the two main lines of the network run to El Affroun in the southwest and Thénia in the east, with branches, such as the Zéralda or Airport lines, running off of them.
Although most lines of the network run on the core section, there are three exceptions to this rule: Thénia-Oued Aïssi trains on the Agha/Thénia-Oued Aïssi line, and trains running via the Oued Smar-Gué de Constantine line.
Lines Algiers-El Affroun line The Algiers-El Affroun line, also known as Algiers West or the Western Suburban (French: Banlieue Ouest), is the oldest line of the network. It runs from Algiers station in the city center southwest to El Affroun, in the province of Blida, over a distance of , sharing track with the Algiers-Oran mainline throughout its entire route.
Alger Alger-Centre Agha Sidi M'Hamed Les Ateliers Belouizdad Hussein Dey Hussein Dey Caroubier Hussein Dey El Harrach El Harrach Gué de Constantine Djasr Kasentina Aïn Naâdja Djasr Kasentina (under construction) Baba Ali Saoula Birtouta Ouled Chebel, Birtouta Boufarik Boufarik Beni Mered Beni Mered Blida Blida Chiffa Chiffa Mouzaia Mouzaia El Affroun El Affroun
Algiers-Thénia line The Algiers-Thénia line, also known as Algiers East or Eastern Suburban (French: Banlieue Est), runs from Algiers main station to Thénia, in the province of Boumerdès on an east–west axis over of track. Like the Algiers-El Affroun line, the Algiers-Thénia line runs entirely on existing infrastructure, in this case the Algiers-Skikda mainline. Alger Alger-Centre Agha Sidi M'Hamed Les Ateliers Belouizdad Hussein Dey Hussein Dey Caroubier Hussein Dey El Harrach El Harrach Oued Smar Oued Smar Bab Ezzouar Bab Ezzouar Dar El Beïda Dar El Beïda Rouïba Rouïba Rouïba ZI Rouïba Réghaïa ZI Réghaïa Réghaïa Réghaïa Boudouaou Boudouaou Corso Corso Boumerdès Boumerdès Tidjelabine Tidjelabine Thénia Thénia
Agha-Zéralda line
The Agha-Zéralda line is a “U”-shaped line, which runs on Algiers-El Affroun line trackage from Agha to Birtouta, where it subsequently branches off of the line and runs north to Zéralda via the new town of Sidi Abdellah, with the entirety of the line being located within the boundaries of the province of Algiers. The line is long, and was the first line in Algiers to be built and used exclusively for suburban rail traffic. Construction on the line started in September 2011, and the line was inaugurated on November 1, 2016, with passenger services starting on December 11, 2016. Agha Sidi M'Hamed Les Ateliers Belouizdad Hussein Dey Hussein Dey Caroubier Hussein Dey El Harrach El Harrach Gué de Constantine Djasr Kasentina Aïn Naâdja Djasr Kasentina (under construction) Baba Ali Saoula Birtouta Ouled Chebel, Birtouta Tessala El Merdja Douera Sidi Abdellah Mahelma UniversitéMahelma Zéralda Zéralda
Agha/Thénia-Oued Aïssi line The Agha/Thénia-Oued Aïssi line is the longest line of the network, running a total distance of on an east–west route, connecting the provinces of Algiers, Boumerdès, and Tizi Ouzou. The line has its origins in the Thénia-Tizi Ouzou railway, which first opened in 1886, and was later upgraded and integrated into the suburban rail network. The line's renovated section opened on April 19, 2017, while the extension to Oued Aïssi opened on June 6, 2017.
Two types of trains run on the line: express services from Agha to Oued Aïssi, which skip certain stations on the Algiers-Thénia line, and local services running from Thénia to Oued Aïssi.
Agha Sidi M'Hamed El Harrach El Harrach Dar El Beïda Dar El Beïda Rouïba Rouïba Réghaïa Réghaïa Boumerdès Boumerdès Thénia Thénia Si Mustapha Si Mustapha Isser Isser Bordj Menaïel Bordj Menaïel Naciria Naciria Tadmaït Tadmaït Draâ Ben Khedda Draâ Ben Khedda Boukhalfa Tizi Ouzou Tizi Ouzou Tizi Ouzou Kef Naâdja Tizi Ouzou Oued Aïssi - Université Tizi Ouzou Oued Aïssi Tizi Ouzou
Agha-Houari Boumédiène Airport line
The Agha-Houari Boumédiène Airport line is the shortest line of the network, running for a distance of around from Agha station to Algiers-Houari Boumédiène International Airport. Construction on the line started in December 2012, and it later opened on April 29, 2019. The line offers express service only, and runs on an east–west alignment. It also includes the network's only underground station, that being the terminus at the airport. Agha Sidi M'Hamed El Harrach El Harrach Bab Ezzouar Bab Ezzouar Houari Boumédiène Airport Dar El Beïda (under construction)
Thénia-El Affroun line The Thénia-El Affroun line is one of the longest lines of the network, running for a total distance of around on an east–west alignment, connecting the provinces of Blida, Algiers, and Boumerdès. The line is one of only two lines to use the Oued Smar-Gué de Constantine line, which bypasses the core section in Algiers in order to provide direct service between both sides of the network. Upon entering service on July 6, 2024, trains on the line originally ran from Blida to Réghaïa. However, in October 2024, a timetable change extended trains running on the line to run from Thénia to El Affroun, thus leading to the current line.
Thénia Thénia Tidjelabine Tidjelabine Boumerdès Boumerdès Corso Corso Boudouaou Boudouaou Réghaïa Réghaïa Réghaïa ZI Réghaïa Rouïba ZI Rouïba Rouïba Rouïba Dar El Beïda Dar El Beïda Bab Ezzouar Bab Ezzouar Oued Smar Oued Smar Gué de Constantine Djasr Kasentina Aïn Naâdja Djasr Kasentina (under construction) Baba Ali Saoula Birtouta Ouled Chebel, Birtouta Boufarik Boufarik Beni Mered Beni Mered Blida Blida Chiffa Chiffa Mouzaia Mouzaia El Affroun El Affroun
Thénia-Zéralda line Like the Thénia-El Affroun line, the Thénia-Zéralda line uses the Oued Smar-Gué de Constantine line to bypass the core section of the network in central Algiers and run directly from one end of the network to another. However, instead of running on Algiers-El Affroun line trackage, the line instead turns north onto the Birtouta-Zéralda line. The line started operation on July 6, 2024, originally running from Réghaïa to Zéralda, and was extended to Thénia in October 2024. Thénia Thénia Tidjelabine Tidjelabine Boumerdès Boumerdès Corso Corso Boudouaou Boudouaou Réghaïa Réghaïa Réghaïa ZI Réghaïa Rouïba ZI Rouïba Rouïba Rouïba Dar El Beïda Dar El Beïda Bab Ezzouar Bab Ezzouar Oued Smar Oued Smar Gué de Constantine Djasr Kasentina Aïn Naâdja Djasr Kasentina (under construction) Baba Ali Saoula Birtouta Ouled Chebel, Birtouta Tessala El Merdja Douera Sidi Abdellah Mahelma Université Mahelma Zéralda Zéralda
Rolling stock Current As of 2025, there is only one type of rolling stock used on the network.
As part of the network's upgrading and electrification in the 2000s, the SNTF launched a tender for the supply of 64 electric multiple units for operation on the network in 2005. The winner of the tender was announced as the Swiss company Stadler Rail in March 2006, and delivery began in early 2008. Delivery lasted until 2010.