Réseau Ferroviaire Rapide

Réseau Ferroviaire Rapide
A Line A train at Tunis Central station in August 2020.
A Line A train at Tunis Central station in August 2020.
Overview
Native nameالشبكة الحديدية السريعة بتونس
OwnerSociété Nationale des Chemins de Fer Tunisiens (SNCFT)
Area servedTunis, Ben Arous, and Manouba, Tunisia
Transit typeCommuter rail
Number of lines3
Number of stations31
Operation
Began operationApril 6, 2012
Operator(s)Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Tunisiens (SNCFT)
Technical
System length47.2 km
Track gauge1,000 mm (3 ft 3+3⁄8 in) metre gauge (Line A)
1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge (Line D/E)
Electrification25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead line
System map

The Réseau Ferroviaire Rapide (English: Rapid Rail Network, Arabic: الشبكة الحديدية السريعة بتونس; commonly abbreviated RFR) is a suburban rail network serving the metropolitan area of Tunis, the capital and largest city of Tunisia. Opened in 2012, the 47-kilometre long network consists of three lines and serves 31 stations.[1] It is operated by the Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Tunisiens (SNCFT), Tunisia's national railway authority.

History

Plans for an electrified rail network serving Tunis’ outer suburbs had been envisaged since the 1960s, however it wasn't until the early 1990s that concrete plans started. The first line to be proposed for electrification was the Tunis-Bordj Cédria line in 1990,[2] a line which had opened in 1882 and had been continuously upgraded since the mid-1980s.[1][3] Funding for the electrification of the line was eventually secured in April 2001.[2]

On July 18, 2007, the Société du Réseau Ferroviaire Rapide de Tunis (RFR) was created for the realisation, implementation, and construction of the electrified rail network, now also branded as the RFR.[4] As part of the project, the existing plans for the electrification of the Tunis-Bordj Cédria line were integrated into the RFR network as Line A.[5] Additionally, planning for four new lines started, including lines C, D, E, and F.

Work on the Line A project continued, and in November 2007, a contract was signed with Hyundai Rotem for the supply of 19 four-car metre gauge EMUs for operation on the line.[6][7] Later, in February 2008, the contract for the electrification of the line was awarded to a consortium of Alstom and Ansaldo STS (now Hitachi Rail STS).[8][9] The first Line A train was delivered in February 2010.[6]

In November 2010, the RFR awarded a consortium of Systra and Studi the contract for construction management of the first phase of the RFR project, consisting of lines D and E.[10] Line A entered service on April 6, 2012,[3][11] however the line's official inauguration wouldn't be held until June 19, 2012.[1][12]

In February 2013, the contract for the construction of lines D and E was officially awarded to a consortium of Siemens Mobility, Colas Rail, and Somatra-Get.[13] Later, in October 2016, the RFR selected Hyundai Rotem for the supply of 28 standard-gauge trains to operate on lines D and E,[14][15] with the contract for the trains being signed later in December of that year.[16] In December 2017, extra funding for the completion of the first phase was provided by the European Investment Bank (EIB).[17]

The first phase of the project was planned to open in 2019,[18] however as time progressed, the completion of both lines became heavily delayed.[19] The first trains for lines D and E were delivered in August 2019.[20][21]

Line E officially entered service from Tunis Central station to Bougatfa–Sidi Hassine on March 20, 2023.[22][23][24] Test running on Line D started in early January 2025,[25] and the line entered service from Tunis Central to Gobâa on January 25, 2025.[1][26][27]

Lines

Line A

Tunis Central - Erriadh

Mégrine station in 2013.

Line A is the oldest and longest line of the network, running on a north–south axis from Tunis Central station to Erriadh over a distance of 25 kilometres (16 mi) and serving 18 stations.[3] Opened on April 6, 2012,[11] the line is also currently the only metre gauge line of the RFR network, running on the SNCFT's southern mainline network.[28]

StationsCommune servedConnections
 ●  Tunis Central Tunis Tunis Metro:
• Jebel Jelloud Djebel Jelloud
• Mégrine Riadh Mégrine
• Mégrine
• Sidi Rézig
• Lycée Radès Radès
• Radès
• Radès Méliane
• Ez-Zahra Ezzahra
• Lycée Ezzahra
• Boukornine Hammam Lif
• Hammam Lif
• Arrêt du Stade
• Tahar Sfar Hammam Chott
• Hammam Chatt
• Bir El Bey
• Borj Cédria Borj Cédria
● Erriadh

Line D

Tunis Central - Gobâa

Line D is the newest line of the network, having opened on January 25, 2025.[1][26] Like Line A, Line D runs on an existing SNCFT mainline alignment, however instead of metre gauge tracks, the line runs on the standard-gauge mainline from Tunis to Ghardimaou.[26] The line runs from Tunis Central to Gobâa on an east–west route over a total distance of 13.2 kilometres (8.2 mi) and serves 9 stations, sharing track with Line E from Tunis to Saida Manoubia.[26]

StationsCommune servedConnections
 ●  Tunis Central Tunis Tunis Metro:
• Saida Manoubia
• Mellassine Mellassine
• Erraoudha Le Bardo
• Bardo Tunis Metro:
• El Bortal
• Manouba La Manouba
• Cité des Orangers
● Gobâa

Line E

Tunis Central - Bougatfa/Sidi Hassine

Line E is the shortest line of the network, running over a distance of 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) and 7 stations on an east–west route from Tunis Central to Bougatfa.[3][29] Unlike lines A and D, Line E runs mostly on an entirely new alignment, serving the communities on the northern and western shores of Lake Séjoumi, an area previously unserved by any form of rail transit. As a result, the line, which opened on March 20, 2023,[24] mostly runs elevated and at-grade.

StationsCommune servedConnections
 ●  Tunis Central Tunis Tunis Metro:
• Saida Manoubia
• Ennajah
• Ettayaran–Ezzouhour 1 Ezzouhour
• Ezzouhour 2
• El Hrairia El Hraïria
● Bougatfa–Sidi Hassine Sidi Hassine

Rolling stock

Line A

A metre gauge EMU similar to those of Line A, seen here on the Sahel Metro in 2014.

Line A is operated with 19 four-car metre-gauge EMUs supplied by the South Korean manufacturer Hyundai Rotem. Bought under a contract signed in December 2007,[6] the trains feature a design that is identical to those used on the Sahel Metro. The trains were delivered from February to December 2010.[6]

Lines D and E

As lines D and E are both standard-gauge, they both share rolling stock. The lines are both operated with 28 four-car EMUs, also supplied by Hyundai Rotem.[26][30] The company was selected for the supply of the trains in October 2016,[14] and the first trains were delivered in August 2019.[1][20][21] All trains were delivered by 2023.[30]

Planned lines and extensions

Line C

Like Line A, Line C will be the result of the upgrade and electrification of an existing metre-gauge line. The line will run south from Tunis Central on the existing Djebel Jelloud-Kasserine mainline until Bir Kasaa, where it will turn east on a new alignment, terminating at Mohamdia.[31]

Line D extension

An extension is currently under construction to extend Line D six kilometres north from its present terminus at Gobâa to Mnihla.[1][26][31]

Line F

Line F will be an entirely new line running from Tunis Central north to Ariana, mostly running on the western shore of Lake Tunis.[31]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Kußmagk, Bernhard; Schwandl, Robert (2025), Tram Atlas: Nordafrika & Naher Osten = Tram Atlas: North Africa & Middle East (1. Auflage ed.), Berlin: Robert Schwandl Verlag, ISBN 978-3-936573-82-4
  2. 1 2 "Tunis suburban electrification funded". Railway Gazette International. 1 April 2001. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Présentation". SNCFT (in French). Archived from the original on 19 April 2026. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
  4. ↑ "Historique - RFR". RFR (in French). Archived from the original on 2025-07-18. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
  5. ↑ "Coopération technique Tunisie – Accompagner la SNCFT dans l'exploitation du Réseau Ferré Rapide de Tunis" (in French). Archived from the original on 5 June 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "HYUNDAI Rotem". www.hyundai-rotem.co.kr. Archived from the original on 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
  7. ↑ "Urban Rail News in Brief". Railway Gazette International. 12 February 2008. Retrieved 2026-01-12. Sumitomo Corp and Hyundai Rotem have been awarded a ¥16·5bn contract to supply 76 metre-gauge EMU cars to Tunisia in 2009-10. They will replace DMUs on the 23 km Tunis – Borj Cedria suburban line which is currently being electrified at 25 kV AC.
  8. ↑ "Alstom wins infrastructure contract for rail line in southern suburbs of Tunis". Alstom. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
  9. ↑ "SNCFT awards Tunis electrification contract". Railway Gazette International. 8 February 2008. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
  10. ↑ "Systra and Studi to manage Tunis suburban construction". Railway Gazette International. 9 November 2010. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
  11. 1 2 "News in Brief - June 2012". Railway Gazette International. 27 June 2012. Retrieved 2026-01-12. Electric operation of SNCFT commuter services from Tunis to the suburbs of Borj Sedria and Riadh began on April 6, using Hyundai Rotem metre gauge 25 kV 50 Hz EMUs.
  12. ↑ "Tunisie - Inauguration d'un projet de train électrifié de 325 millions de dinars financé par la JICA". businessnews.com.tn (in French). 19 June 2012. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
  13. ↑ "Tunis suburban construction contract awarded". Railway Gazette International. 6 February 2013. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
  14. 1 2 Barrow, Keith (2016-10-03). "Hyundai Rotem chosen for Tunisian EMU order". International Railway Journal. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
  15. ↑ "World rolling stock market November 2016". Railway Gazette International. 29 November 2016. Retrieved 2026-01-12. Hyundai Rotem has been selected for a 203bn won contract to supply 112 EMU cars to SNCFT from 2018 for use on Tunis suburban services. Alstom, CAF and Stadler had also bid for the contract.
  16. ↑ "La Corée va livrer des wagons électriques au RFR Tunis | Webmanagercenter". webmanagercenter.com (in French). 15 December 2016. Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
  17. ↑ "More Tunis RER funding". Railway Gazette International. 13 December 2017. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
  18. ↑ "RFR : Tunis-Ezzahrouni en 15 mn dès l'été prochain". webdo.tn (in French). 28 January 2019. Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
  19. ↑ Scasso, Christian (2021-08-24). "Africa: Mixed fortunes in Tunis". Railway Gazette International. Retrieved 2026-05-19.
  20. 1 2 Barrow, Keith (2019-08-13). "First Tunis RFR trains revealed". International Railway Journal. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
  21. 1 2 "La Tunisie reçoit les deux premiers trains électriques du projet RFR". Al HuffPost Maghreb (in French). 2019-08-16. Archived from the original on 2019-08-16. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
  22. ↑ "Tunis finally opens RFR Line E". Railway Gazette International. 20 April 2023. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
  23. ↑ Artymiuk, Simon (2023-04-14). "Tunisia's first new electrified suburban railway enters service". International Railway Journal. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
  24. 1 2 "RFR-Tunisie : Lancement de la ligne E entre les stations Barcelone et Bougatfa (Photos)". Kapitalis (in French). 2023-03-20. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
  25. ↑ Smith, Kevin (2025-01-06). "Testing begins on Tunis Line D". International Railway Journal. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
  26. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Tunis suburban rail Line D opens". Railway Gazette International. 5 February 2025. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
  27. ↑ "RFR : Inauguration de la ligne D reliant Tunis à Gobaâ (Photos)". Kapitalis (in French). 2025-01-25. Retrieved 2026-05-19.
  28. ↑ "UrbanRail.Net > Africa > Tunisia > TUNIS Métro léger". urbanrail.net. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
  29. ↑ "Présentation du projet - RFR". RFR (in French). Archived from the original on 2025-07-18. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
  30. 1 2 "Regional and Intercity | Hyundai Rotem". www.hyundai-rotem.co.kr. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
  31. 1 2 3 "Le Réseau - RFR". RFR (in French). Archived from the original on 2025-07-18. Retrieved 2025-11-10.
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