RFR company currently completing work on Line D

Tunis: The Tunis Rapid Railway (RFR) company is currently working to complete work on Line D, which will link "Tunis city" to "Mnihla". Work on this line, originally scheduled to begin in 2016, has been blocked in the city of Bardo due to opposition from some residents, civil society and some MPs to the formula adopted for the construction of the Bardo section. The termination of the contract with the Italian company in charge of the project for failing to meet its obligations also contributed to the blockage of this project. The situation was further aggravated by the decision of the city council to stop work in 2019. A meeting of the Cabinet meeting on November 10, 2023 ordered the resumption of work in accordance with the original terms of the contract, in application of the law, in order to ensure the progressive operation of the line from September 2024 and the operation of the entire line by 2026." Dhafer Sghiri, Member of Parliament for the Ettahrir neighbourhood - Bardo constituency, explained the opposition of local residents and civil society to the choice made for the construction of the section relating to the town of Bardo by the option chosen for an intersection between the RFR line and the road, simply by installing mobile barriers. In a statement to TAP, he stressed that "this option was chosen from among 7 others because it was the least expensive, without taking into account the risks it could create for the safety of citizens and road users". In his opinion, "the chosen option will also divide and disfigure the city of Bardo, which is known for its many historical sites and monuments". For his part, Lotfi Chouba, CEO of the RFR company, explained that Line D, which runs parallel to the railway line, was built on public land owned by the SNCFT, which explains the problem with its construction. "We have built two RFR lines parallel to the railway, bringing the number of railway lines to three," he added. He went on to say that the project had been designed using a participatory approach, b ased on in-depth studies and taking into account all the essential criteria relating to efficiency, cost and safety. According to the final version of the project, "RFR trains will run according to timetables to be defined at a later stage and at low speeds to ensure the safety of pedestrians and vehicles", said Chouba, adding that there will be two crossings of the railway line with the road. According to the official, the first phase of this line will be put into operation gradually, in September 2024, with the remaining components of the project to be completed by 2026. He also pointed out that it was necessary to speed up the completion of the works and the gradual opening of the line in view of the worsening transport crisis in Tunisia due to the deterioration of the transport fleet. He added that the line would help alleviate traffic congestion in the city of Bardo, especially as the train has a capacity of 2,400 passengers per trip. Line D is 12.2 km long and connects with line A for 2.3 km to Man oubia station. This line has seven stations after Manoubia, namely Melassine, Erraoudha, Bardo, Bortal, Manouba, Cité les Oranges and Gobaa. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse