Railway signaling system developed with $15 billion: Minister

CAIRO – 17 September 2017: The railway signaling system in Upper Egypt was developed with a budget of $15 billion, funded by the World Bank, Minister of Transportation Hisham Arafat told the press on Saturday during a visit to Qena governorate.

Arafat was following up on the construction works of the two-way desert road, worth LE 370 million ($20.9 million), in western Qena.

Arafat announced that the ministry obtained 18 railway vehicles made in the United States, allocated to long-distance routes serving Upper Egypt’s governorates, where trains have worn out by time.

Egypt’s cabinet recently approved a deal between the Railway Authority and General Electric (GE) to manufacture 100 railway vehicles and spare-parts, as well as renovating 81 others, currently out of service, the minister stated.


Arafat said that the contract, worth $575 million, would be signed within days and that the deal entails the provision and maintenance of the vehicles’ spare-parts by GE for 15 years.


GE would also provide training to 30 engineers and 245 technicians of the authority at the company’s factories.

A few weeks ago, the Railway Authority signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with GE in the presence of Prime Minister Sherif Ismail. The Ministry of Transportation, to which the authority is affiliated, finalized with the company the terms of contract, timeline for the supply of vehicles, and the technical specifications of the vehicles.