The Tunis RFR (Rapid Rail Network) -Tunisia

Technical details

Client

Société du Réseau Ferroviaire Rapide de Tunis (RFR)

Dates

2007 – 2027

Missions

Project Management

Location

Tunis, Tunisia

Partners

Studi

Perimeter

Preliminary design studies, Financial and institutional study, supervision of all implementation phases

Activity

Railways

The Tunis Rapid Rail Network (RFR) is a suburban public transport network serving the Tunis metropolitan area, designed to facilitate access to the city. Two lines of this new network have been brought into service, with SYSTRA making a major contribution to their implementation.

Two decades of mobilisation for SYSTRA

Designed to relieve congestion in the Tunis metropolitan area, the RFR has two completed lines, lines D and E, to which will be added the current southern suburban line, which will become line A. Lines C and F are also in the planning stages.

For SYSTRA, the creation of this rail network for Greater Tunis began in the early 2000s with the submission of preliminary design studies for the network, followed by the financial and institutional study in 2009 for the French Development Agency (AFD). We then supervised the project throughout its implementation phases.

Ultimately, the entire Greater Tunis area will be connected to the RFR, which is set to extend 85km across the key hubs of the capital region.

Line D: from Tunis-Barcelone to Gobâa

Line D of the RFR connects the centre of Tunis to the town of Gobâa in just 15 minutes, compared to four to five times longer by bus previously. SYSTRA was responsible for project management throughout all phases of this major project, which has had a significant impact on residents’ lives. With more than 10,000 passengers transported on its first day, this new suburban link is helping to reduce congestion around the Tunisian capital and contributes to lowering transport emissions.

SYSTRA teams have been responsible for the entire project management, including the control and supervision of all phases of Line D’s construction since 2010, with our experts working continuously on site alongside our local partner Studi.

Line D of the RFR in figures:

13.5km
9 stations
Maximum capacity (Design): 350,000 passengers per day
9 structures, of which 4 reinforced concrete slab bridges
A total of 873m of elevated sections

Ligne E : from Tunis-Barcelone to Bougafta

Line E of the RFR was the first to be commissioned in spring 2023. It serves the southwestern districts of the capital, initially connecting the centre of Tunis to Sidi Hassine, from Barcelona station to Bougatfa station.

From 2007 to 2023, SYSTRA was the lead member of the project management consortium with Studi. In 2010, a comprehensive mission was launched covering the control and monitoring of implementation, in coordination with all project stakeholders and in close collaboration with the project owner.

Ligne E: from Tunis-Barcelone to Bougafta

9km (phase 1 from Tunis-Ville to Bougatfa)
7 stations
15 minutes of journey time
1 train every 7 minutes
20,000 passengers per hour, per direction

The Rapid Rail Network, a sustainable solution for reducing travel times

SYSTRA leveraged its expertise in suburban railways for the RFR, with cutting-edge solutions such as ETCS-1 signalling, a 25,000-volt power supply, and an operation control centre. The elevated section was constructed using three U-shaped prestressed concrete viaducts over a kilometre long, reducing the amount of concrete used while providing the Tunisian authorities with a patented engineering structure of internationally recognised quality.

The latest RFR has already found its audience, with 25 million passengers recorded in 2024 on line E alone. Line D is currently designed to accommodate more than 20,000 passengers from the western suburbs of Tunis, with spacious trains capable of carrying up to 2,400 passengers.

Reliable, offering the highest level of safety, and sustainable, the RFR is essential for the mobility of Tunisians, whose road network is saturated and where demand for areas 5 to 9 miles from the city centre exceeds bus supply during rush hour. Its introduction has made it possible to redistribute transport services around train stations and reduce air and noise pollution in urban areas.