Sfax-Gafsa Railway

Sfax-Gafsa Railway (Narrow-Gauge)

Sfax-Gafsa Narrow-Gauge Railways

A narrow-gauge railway system of SNCFT offers passenger services to Tunis and delivers phosphates and iron ore for export.

Trains run once daily between Sfax and Gafsa. The service departs Sfax at 14:30 in the afternoon, which arrives into Gafsa at 17:52. All services run direct with no transfers required, and take on average 3h 22m.

Sfax-Gafsa Railway Freight

In the south of Tunisia the Sfax-Gafsa Railway delivers phosphate and iron ore to the harbour at Sfax. Also the Metlaoui - Redeyef and Moularès - Kasserine lines are for the transport of phosphate.

Sfax-Gafsa Railway History

Construction of the Southern Network

In 1885 considerable deposits of phosphates were discovered in the region of Seldja. In 1897 a concession was granted to the Compagnie des phosphates et des chemins de fer de Sfax-Gafsa (CPCFSG) to mine the mineral and to build rail transport to the port of Sfax. The metre-gauge railway between Sfax and Métlaoui via Gafsa was completed by 1899. It was extended in 1913 to Tozeur and 1916 to Gabès. At the end of the concession, the line was to be returned to the Tunisian State.

In addition, the company was granted a concession to construct a railway between Tunis and Sousse that was built between 1895 and 1899 with branches to the Pont du Fahs, the Cape Bon, Nabeul, Kairouan and Moknine. This portion of the metre-gauge network was complemented by linking up to Fahs Ksar Ghilane (1906) where large holdings of phosphates and iron were found. The link between Sousse and Sfax was closed by 1911. The link to Cap Bon was extended in 1940 to the lignite deposits of El Oudiane. Finally, the connection between Ksar Rhilane in Algeria and the network was completed in 1930 and the strategic link between Haïdra and Kasserine was closed by 1940.

Sfax-Gafsa Railway Overview

Sfax-Gafsa Railway Coordinates: 34°44′24″N 10°45′36″E