Benghazi – Musaid railway line
The Benghazi – Musaid (Umm Saad) railway is a railway line in Libya that is currently being planned . It should form the eastern end of the Libyan railway network that is currently being built (see projects ) and ultimately ensure the connection to the Egyptian State Railway near Sollum .
The standard-gauge railway line is currently in different stages of planning, which were created by the German office Dorsch Afrique .
- The Benghazi - Tobruk line is more than 150 km long and, like the entire section of the North African rail link along the southern Mediterranean coast from Morocco to Egypt , is to be built as a double-track and high-speed line . A general plan for the entire route with structures, signaling technology and stations was presented. In addition, a feasibility study was carried out for the “Harbor Link” in the topographically very demanding area near Tobruk, a connection with which the city's port is to be connected. To do this, built-up areas must be crossed. A tunnel would be required here.
- For the subsequent route from Tobruk to Musaid (also: Umm Saad), the future border station to Egypt, Dorsch Afrique prepared a preliminary study that examined several route alternatives in order to find an optimal route for future regional development. The costs for this section are estimated at around two billion euros.
After the outbreak of civil war in Libya in February 2011, all work on the routes that were already under construction in the country were suspended. Foreign companies that operated the construction sites withdrew their employees from the country or they fled. In this respect, it is unclear how the railway projects in Libya will continue.
Predecessor project
The planning resumes a railway line that historically existed for a short time in one section: During the Second World War , the Allies pushed a standard-gauge railway line from Egypt through Libya westwards. This started 10 km from Marsa Matruh on the Egyptian network and led to Tobruk. The route was 350 km long, of which, west of Sollum, 125 km ran in Libya. After the end of the war, the line was closed on December 20, 1946 and the section in Libya was dismantled.