As part of efforts to resume the agreed signalling, telecommunications, power supply, and associated civil works project for the Ras Ajdir–Sirte and Al-Heisha–Sabha rail sectors, a routine monthly virtual meeting was held yesterday between Libyan Railroads and Hitachi Rail STS (Signalling and Transportation Systems) Spa.
The virtual meeting took place between engineers from the Libyan Railroad’s Projects Management Board—led by Breik Abdullah Moussa and his accompanying technical team (Osama Al-Sadiq, Mohamed Sayala, Nasser Al-Najih, and Abdul-Salam Masoud)—and the team from Hitachi Rail STS Spa (formerly Ansaldo STS), based in Rome.
During the meeting, several technical issues related to the project were reviewed and discussed ahead of the resumption of works.
Libyan Railroads said practical steps are, therefore, continuing toward relaunching one of Libya's most important strategic projects in urban mass transport, thereby strengthening infrastructure and aligning with sustainable development requirements.
July 2026 agreement with Hitachi on an implementation resumption roadmap
It will be recalled that Libyan Railroads and Hitachi Rail had, in July this year, agreed and established a roadmap to resume implementation of contracted work.
A further meeting was held this August.
2009 €541 million Ansaldo STS contract
It will be recalled that Ansaldo STS had signed a major €541 million contract (Contract No. (2/2009) in July 2009 to supply signalling and telecommunications (including ERTMS) for Libyan railway lines.
ERTMS (European Rail Traffic Management System) is a single, Europe-wide standard for railway signalling and speed control designed to enhance safety, boost network capacity, and enable seamless cross-border train operations.
However, Ansaldo STS’s work was completely halted in 2011 due to the outbreak of Libya’s civil war and the fall of the Qaddafi regime. Japan's Hitachi acquired Ansaldo STS in 2019, making the contract part of Hitachi Rail's portfolio.
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