A passenger train derailed in Giza in Friday, leaving 58 people injured - Egypt Today/Khaled Kamel
CAIRO - 14 July 2018: An error in the operational signal system could be the reason behind the derailment of the Upper Egypt-bound train, which left 58 commuters injured on Friday, Minister of Transportation Hesham Arafat told “Massaa’ DMC” talk show on DMC channel on Friday.
The air-conditioned train number 986 was coming from Cairo towards Qena, when the three railcars flipped over in Marazeeq Station on Aswa Western Agricultural Road in Giza on Friday.
Egypt’s railway needs an electronic system to reduce human errors, the minister said, adding that the government has allocated LE 17 billion ($951.5 million) to upgrade the signal system, which is the main cause of most of train accidents in Egypt.
"The investigations and the technical committees will determine the causes. A similar incident took place in Beheira when someone entered the control room and did something wrong that led to it (the accident),” he said.
Forty-two injured people were discharged from hospitals after receiving treatment, while 16 others still remain under observation, Minister of Health Hala Zayed said while paying a visit to the patients at the hospitals.
The majority of the injured people suffer from fractures and bruises due to commuters’ stampede caused by the train derailment.
In February, two trains collided in Beheira governorate killing at least 15 people and wounding 40 others. In November 2017, two trains collided in Alexandria, leaving more than 40 fatalities and 170 injuries. Investigations with 10 officials from the Egyptian Railway Authority about the accident revealed that the driver of one of the trains, Emad Helmy, was the cause of the accident.
CAIRO - 28 February 2018: Two trains collided in Beheira governorate killing at least 15 people and wounding 40 others on Wednesday, according to the transport minister's spokesperson, Mohamed Ezz. Eyewitnesses reported that two separate passenger train carriages swerved out of the railways and crashed into a cargo train.
In March, President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi said that the upgrading of Egypt’s railways require huge funds, ranging from LE 200 billion ($11 billion) to LE 250 billion ($14 billion).
During the inauguration of the first phase of the New Alamein City, Sisi added that there is not enough money for the rehabilitation of rail lines, adding that he will raise money from passenger rail networks to be able to develop network lines.
CAIRO - 2 March 2018: President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi said on Thursday that Egypt's rail lines require funds from LE 200 billion ($11 billion) to LE 250 billion ($14 billion) to upgrade them.
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