The French company RATP Dev will operate and maintain future Algerian tramway line projects in partnership with Entreprise du Métro d'Alger (EMA) and Etablissement Public de Transport Urbain et Suburbain d'Alger (ETUSA) through a joint venture, announced the Algerian transport ministry.
RATP Dev will run the joint venture in which it will be a 49% stakeholder alongside EMA (30%) and ETUSA (21%). The joint venture will operate, service and maintain all tram services in Algeria (the only exception are maintenance works for the Algiers tram).
The company will operate the Eastern line of the Algiers tramway. The first 7 km-section with 14 stops commenced its service in May 2011. The second section of the line is nine kilometres long, with 16 stops and is scheduled to begin its service on 15 June. A third section with a further seven kilometres will begin service in 2013. Once completed, the tramway line will carry up to 185,000 passengers per day.
RATP Dev will facilitate coordination and inter-modality with the Algiers metro, which it has already been operating since services began in November 2011, through its local subsidiary, RATP El Djazair.
The joint venture will also be tasked with operating and maintaining tramways in Oran and Constantine. The Oran and Constantine tramways are scheduled to begin service in 2013 and will feature nearly 19 km with 32 stops and 8 km with ten stops respectively. Many other projects are also under study in Algeria including tram project s in Sidi Bel Abbes, Ourgla, Batna, Setif, Annaba and extensions to lines in Algiers, Oran and Constantine.
RATP Dev will provide its expertise as an international operator in order to launch and operate new tramway infrastructures in Algeria.
RATP Dev Executive Board Chairman Jean-Marc Janaillac: "We aim to consolidate our expansion in North Africa and ensure our long-term presence in the Gulf region"
"We are delighted with this latest partnership with the Algerian authorities, who first put their trust in our expertise and know-how to operate the Algiers metro and have now renewed it by asking us to ensure the future of the tramway in Algeria", said Jean-Marc Janaillac, chairman of the RATP Dev executive board. "This latest success consolidates our expansion strategy in North Africa. We also aim to ensure a long-term presence in the Gulf region where many new transport infrastructure projects will be commissioned in the years to come."
About the RATP Group
With over 12 million passengers transported every day worldwide the RATP group chaired by Pierre Mongin is the world's fifth largest urban transport operator. Thanks to its 14 metro lines, two RER regional express rail lines (A and B), three tramway lines and 350 bus lines and shuttle services to both international airports in the greater Paris region, the multi-modal network operated by the RATP is one of the largest in the world.
RATP Dev
Established in 2002, RATP Dev is an RATP group subsidiary whose mission is to develop the group's transport operations and maintenance activities both in France and internationally outside the historic network operated by the RATP in the greater Paris region. RATP Dev is now present on four continents in 12 countries with major achievements such as the Algiers metro, the Florence tramway and the Gautrain connecting Pretoria to Johannesburg in South Africa.
RATP El Djazair
RATP El Djazair, a RATP Dev subsidiary, is commissioned with the commercial operation and maintenance of the Algiers metro line 1, which began service in November 2011.
© Press Release 2012
