Algerian railway agency ANESRIF has awarded a contract to ESTEL, a joint venture between Siemens and national railway SNTF, to provide signalling and telecommunication systems on a new 129km rail line from Mecheria to El Bayadh, Algeria.
Siemens' share in the contract is worth €69m and the company will be responsible for equipping the line with Trainguard 100 for European Train Control System (ETCS) Level 1, automatic operations control system Vicos and five Simis W electronic interlockings.
In addition to the equipment of the control centre, Siemens will also provide training to staff to acquaint them with the use of the new technology.
Siemens' Trainguard for ETCS-Level 1 transmits drive and control commands electronically to the train computer via Eurobalises that will be displayed to the driver.
The permissible speed and the status of the signals ahead of the driver will be indicated to the driver via a display panel and if the specified speed is exceeded, the train control system intervenes automatically.
ETCS also ensures interoperability between the train and the track when the train operates across borders.
The new rail line, which will have five stations, is expected to be opened in late 2015 and SNTF intends to run trains on the line at a maximum speed of 160km/h.
The project is part of Algeria's five-year plan to invest about $20bn to modernise the country's railway sector, and is scheduled to be delivered by the end of 2014.
Siemens has already supplied ETCS signalling systems for a 290km section of the High Plateau line from Boughezoul to M'Sila and to Tissemsilt, as well as for the freight line between Senia and the Port of Arzew.
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