Often referred to by French engineering circles as "disaster for engineers," North African country Algeria's longest railway tunnel, a key project in the country's history, was officially completed yesterday, online media outlet The Paper reported. China Railway Construction Corporation Limited [SHA:601186; HKG:1186] (CRCC) spent nearly seven years to finish the project.

The opening of the tunnel reduces the distance between cities, improves railway operation ability, and effectively promotes the local industrial and agricultural modernization and urbanization, which plays a greater role for the economic and social development in provinces along Algerian north railway line. Completion of the tunnel project can be called "the light of the future," said CRCC vice president Wang Wenzhong at the opening ceremony.

The railway it will considerably facilitate residents' travel and freight transportation along the line and cut the journey from northwestern port city of Oran to capital Algiers from four hours to two hours, Algeria infrastructure and transport minister said.  

In addition to the practical significance, the discrepancy between Chinese standards and European standards has been the most controversial in the seven years of tunnel construction, and the tunnel has solved this contradiction. Wang Jinsong, deputy general manager of CRCC, believes that the significance of the tunnel is that the Chinese companies can fully adapt to the European standard system requirements and can survive and ensure development under strict European standard system. It also tells the world that China has the ability to participate in complex engineering designs, not just simple construction.

The Algerian north railway line runs from Annaba in the east to Akid Abbes, a city close to the Moroccan border in the west, with the main line length of 1,250 kilometers. The railway runs across 22 northern coastal provinces of Algeria, covering a regional population of 20 million people, accounting for about 50 percent of the total population of the country. There are 216 stations along the railway line linking nine important seaports in Algeria, which is the transport artery of the country.

The north railway line is the most important transport artery in North Africa, spanning four countries, including Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco, with a total length of 2,730 km.

The tunnel with a combined total length of 14.68 km for two separate tubes is the longest tunnel in Algeria and North Africa.