Private company

Compagnie des chemins de fer Bône-Guelma

French railway company (1875–1923)

The Compagnie des chemins de fer Bône-Guelma (Bône-Guelma Railway Company) built and operated railway lines in Algeria and Tunisia between 1875 and 1923 during the French colonial period. In 1923 it became the Compagnie fermière des chemins de fer tunisiens.2 It was founded by Ernest Goüin.1 It is part of Société de Construction des Batignolles.1 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 20, 2026.

Overview

1875Founded1
  • Industryrail transport1
  • HeadquartersParis1
  • Founded inParis1
  • Legal formsociété anonyme1
Affiche Chemin de fer de Bône-Guelma et prolongements (Algérie et Tunisie)
Photo: Henri Rovel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons4

The Compagnie des chemins de fer Bône-Guelma (Bône-Guelma Railway Company) built and operated railway lines in Algeria and Tunisia between 1875 and 1923 during the French colonial period. In 1923 it became the Compagnie fermière des chemins de fer tunisiens.2

Corporate structure

Compagnie des chemins de fer Bône-Guelma is part of a group headed by Société de Construction des Batignolles. 9 entities, 2 countries on record. Switch between the flow chart and the network, and select any entity to see its details.

Built from subsidiaries, stakes and holdings from Wikidata (CC0); major holders from Schedules 13D and 13G. Each entity in the chart links to its source.

The story

Founded by Ernest Goüin in 1875, in Paris.1

The Bone-Guelma Railway Company was founded in 1875.

The concession for construction of the line from Bone to Guelma, between the French government and the Société de Construction des Batignolles, was ceded by the latter in 1876 to the Bône-Guelma Railway Company, which had been founded by Ernest Goüin, with the assistance of the Banque de Paris et des Pays-Bas, of which Goüin was a director.

The Bone-Guelma company contracted with Batignolles to build the line.

It developed its network in Algeria and Tunisia with respectively 449 kilometres (279 mi) and 1,205 kilometres (749 mi) in each of the two countries.

The line had a station at Taya, eight kilometers by mule track from the Djebel Taya antimony mine.

The Algerian network was purchased by the State on 6 June 1914 and operated from 1 April 1915 by Algerian State Railways.

In 1922, the Tunisian government bought the Tunisian part of the network and entrusted operations to the Compagnie fermière des chemins de fer tunisiens by an agreement of 22 June 1922.

On June 8, 1923, a general meeting of shareholders took note of the change in the company's activities by changing its name to the Compagnie fermière des chemins de fer tunisiens.

From Wikipedia’s article on Compagnie des chemins de fer Bône-Guelma, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3

Leadership

Who has led Compagnie des chemins de fer Bône-Guelma, and when. Pick a name to see everywhere that person has worked.

Products and brands

Tunis – Djedeida – Tebourba 27.9 kilometres (17.3 mi), opened in 1878

Tebourba – Majaz al Bab 31.9 kilometres (19.8 mi), opened in 1878

Majaz al Bab – Oued Zarga 18.4 kilometres (11.4 mi), opened in 1878

Oued Zarga – Béja – Pont-de-Trajan 34 kilometres (21 mi), opened in 1879

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Pont-de-Trajan – Sidi-Ali-Jébini 20.7 kilometres (12.9 mi), opened in 1879

Sidi-Ali-Jébini – Jendouba 28 kilometres (17 mi), opened in 1879

Tunis-Nord – Le Bardo 9 kilometres (5.6 mi), opened in 1873 and surrendered in 1879 by the Tunisian Railway Company

Jendouba – Ghardimaou 33.8 kilometres (21.0 mi), opened in 1880

Tunis-Marine – Hammam-Lif 16.9 kilometres (10.5 mi), opened in 1882 (converted to metre gauge in 1897)

Mastouta – Béja 12.7 kilometres (7.9 mi), opened in 1885

Djedeida – Mateur – Tinja – Bizerte 72.9 kilometres (45.3 mi), branch in 1894

Tinja – Ferryville 3.8 kilometres (2.4 mi), branch opened in 1894

Tunis-Jonction (Bab Alioua) – La Goulette-Port 13.9 kilometres (8.6 mi), opened in 1909 (Three lines of rails 1000/1435 mm)

Mateur – Tamera

Mateur – Jefna 26.9 kilometres (16.7 mi), opened in 1909

Jefna – Tamera 36.2 kilometres (22.5 mi), opened on 1 September 1912

Mateur-Sud – Sidi M'himech – Béja 67.6 kilometres (42.0 mi), opened on 1 September 1912

Sidi Smaïl – La Merja – Khereddine 14.1 kilometres (8.8 mi), opened on 1 June 1914

Khereddine – Nebeur 29.2 kilometres (18.1 mi), opened in 1915

Tamera – Nefza 9.4 kilometres (5.8 mi), opened on 1 January 1917

From Wikipedia’s article on Compagnie des chemins de fer Bône-Guelma, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3

Subsidiaries and ownership

Parent company

From Wikidata.1

Acquisitions

  1. Succeeded by Compagnie des chemins de fer algériens de l'État1
  2. Succeeded by Compagnie fermière des chemins de fer tunisiens1

Timeline

  1. 1923Dissolved Dissolved1
  2. 1875Founded Founded in Paris1