CCECC to Fund Construction of 140km Gabès – Médenine railway

Project narrative

On September 3, 2018, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and Tunisia during the Beijing Summit of the China-Africa Cooperation Forum for the Gabès – Médenine railway line project, a 140 km railway project to be funded by China in Tunisia. The railway would connect Médenine, in Southern Tunisia, to the national railway station in Gabès. The project's estimated cost is between 240 and 600 million Tunisian Dollars, depending on technical variables: the total cost of the project is estimated at 240 million of Tunisian Dinars for a single-track non-electrified rail line, and TND 600 million for a double-track electrified rail line.The purpose of the project is to connect major economic centers in Tunisia and serve densely populated areas in public transportation. The project was initially launched in 1985 but was interrupted in 1988 at 45% completion. The new project is expected to remain within the limits outlined in the existing project, with plans for future rail projects in mind. These future projects include railway connections to Tataouine and Zarzis in Tunisia, and to Libya. The Gabès-Médenine railway is expected to be completed by 2022. As of October 2021, financing details and the implementation status of the project are uncertain. The main public stakeholder in the project is the Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Tunisiens (SNCFT), the Tunisian public rail operator. The project is known as the Gabès – Médenine railway line project.