Alexandria to receive 1st air-conditioned tram in May

CAIRO – 17 April 2018: Alexandria will receive the first new air-conditioned tram from Ukraine at the end of May, Head of Public Transport Authority in Alexandria Khalid Elewa said.

A technical committee will arrive in Ukraine in May to view the tram and give the final approval on sending it to Egypt, Elewa told Egypt Today. The 140-passenger tram is WiFi and GPS enabled, according to Elewa.

In July 2017, Elewa stated that Egypt had signed a contract with Ukraine to import 15 air-conditioned trams, worth $17 million.

The new trams will contribute in solving the environmental pollution and traffic problems in the city, Elewa added.


A double-deck car in Alexandria’s tramway fleet – CC via Wikimedia Commons/Faris Knight

The trams were set to be received in December 2017. However, technical procedures resulted in the delay, Elewa said.

The Alexandria tramway was first built in 1863; it contains 20 lines operating 32 kilometers of track throughout the city. With 140 stops, the tramway is still one of the most-used transportation means in the city.

In September 2017, the National Authority for Tunnels launched the project to renovate the Alexandria tramway network.

The project entails switching to electric locomotives, whose vehicles are equipped with air conditions, operating on 14 kilometers at a speed of maximum 140 kilometers per hour and serving 28 stations. The railroads would pass through tunnels or bridges at crossroads.