Mr Amar Tou, Algeria's transport minister, declared the line open in the presence of the Wali for Constantine, Mr Nuredin Bedoui, and the chairman of RATP Dev, Mr François-Xavier Perin.
The 8.1km line has 10 stops and is expected to carry about 70,000 passengers a day with LRVs running at three-minute headways during peak periods, reducing to five-minute intervals off-peak. The line will operate between 05.00 and 23.00.
The line was built and equipped under a €307m contract awarded to a consortium of Pizzarotti, Italy, which was responsible for the civil works, and Alstom which supplied 27 Citadis LRVs, and installed track, electrification, power supply, operating systems and depot equipment. Alstom's share of the contract was worth €178m.
The light rail line will be operated and maintained for 10 years by Setram, a consortium of RATP Dev, France, Algiers Metro Enterprise (EMA), and Algiers Urban and Suburban Public Transport Enterprise (Etusa). RATP Dev is a subsidiary of Paris Transport Authority (RATP). Setram has hired around 500 staff locally who have been trained by RATP, which also developed operating procedures, defined the maintenance policy, and conducted operating trials.
