Libyan Railway Construction

[John Ashworth]

LIBYAN RAILWAY

Posted on 15 January 2010 by Railways Africa Editor

President of Rossiiskie Zheleznie Dorogi (RZhD – the Russian State Railway) Vladimir Yakunin visited Libyan Railways Chairman Said Mohammed Rashid on 5 December to inspect progress with building the new 554km Surt-Banghazi railway.. Altogether a workforce of 3,500 from Libya and Russia are involved in the four-year construction phase, and housing for more than 400 is nearing completion at the future Ras Lanuf station. Some of the heavy construction and railway equipment has been delivered, including a track-laying machine, flat wagons and a 100 tonne crane.

The route parallels the Mediterranean coast, with six major and 24 minor stations. The double-track line is to be operated initially using 16 diesel locomotives currently being built by GE Transportation, but it is intended to electrify eventually, to permit speeds of 250km/h.

Yakunin points out that Russia has more than 170 years’ experience building railways in harsh environments, “through tundra and desert, across mountainous areas and the broadest rivers.” The China Railway Construction Corporation holds a series of contracts covering the 625km section of the coastal railway west from Surt to Al Khums, Tripoli and Ras Ejder on the Tunisian border, and an 800km link running inland from Misratah to iron ore deposits near Sabha.