By: Ecofin Agency

On Monday, Aug. 17, the National Company of Tunisian Railways (SNCFT) invited consulting firms to apply to carry out feasibility and engineering studies for Tunisia's North-South high-speed rail project. The studies will cover the first phase of the corridor, which is eventually planned to connect with Algeria and Libya.

According to technical details reported by local media, the first phase will run from Bizerte to Ben Guerdane, serving major cities, freight hubs, ports and logistics zones along the route. 

The project reflects a longstanding ambition to create a continuous rail link between the three countries. Eventually, the connection is expected to facilitate cross-border passenger travel and freight transport, particularly for agricultural products. Tunisia also has a separate rail development plan that calls for about 36 billion dinars, or roughly $12.3 billion, in investment through 2040. The investment would be used to modernize a rail network of about 2,000 km, increase its capacity, improve service quality and support regional development through better rail connectivity.

The launch of the studies does not yet guarantee that the corridor will be built. Tunisia and Algeria have announced similar efforts to get the project underway several times, but none has progressed to implementation.

Beyond financing, which remains one of the main challenges, the state of Libya's rail network is another major obstacle. Rail traffic there is virtually nonexistent following the suspension of projects launched before 2011, complicating plans for a functioning cross-border rail link with Libya.