Railway Authority to import 1,300 train carriages in January

CAIRO – 15 November 2017: There is comprehensive renovation in the Egyptian Railway Authority, including 110 train pilots and 1,300 train carriages due to start working in January, Head of the Egyptian Railway Authority Sayed Salem said on Wednesday.

The authority is working on renewing the 1,220-kilometer railway line and 200 kilometers have already been completed, Salem added in a press conference.

Banha-Alexandria train signals as well as the Beni Suef-Assuit train signals will be updated to an electronic system, which will be finished by January 2019, Salem noted.

During President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi’s visit to France last month, Transport Minister Hisham Arafat signed an agreement with France’s state-owned railway company SNCF. According to this agreement, the French company will cooperate with Egyptian National Railways to develop a line connecting the New Administrative Capital with Egypt’s railway network and to study modernizing the railway cargo transport.

The SNCF will also provide technical assistance and training.

Additionally, the private sector is expected to become involved in the railway sector during 2018 as amendments to the Railway Act — which would open up the sector to private companies—are expected to be introduced to parliament next month, according to Arafat.

The amendments will allow businesses to build and operate railway lines and bid for upgrading projects.