Railways revenues increase to LE 172M in October

CAIRO – 22 November 2017: Revenues of the Egyptian National Railways authority (ENR) increased in October 2017 on a monthly and yearly basis, reaching LE 172.5 million, compared to LE 167.1 million in September and LE 172.4 million in October 2016, the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) said Wednesday.

In its monthly report, CAPMAS said that the some 20.1 million passengers had used railways last month, compared to 19.3 million in October 2016, while some 455,000 tons of cargo had been transported, compared to 389,000 tons last year.

The report, meanwhile, showed that the number of railway accidents in October increased year-on-year to 199, compared to 77 in the same month last year.

Prime Minister Sherif Ismail and Transport Minister Hisham Arafat reviewed on Sunday a plan to be accomplished in 2022 to upgrade the railroad network at a total of LE 50 billion. The scheme covers the infrastructure and trains including the electrification of railroad crossings to enhance safety and security.

Arafat said that as many as 200 new locomotives will be purchased and 81 old ones will be renovated as part of the plan, adding that 300 cargo carriages will be locally manufactured. Some 1,300 passenger coaches are planned to be built, he said.

As for renovating railroad crossings, the minister said that 90 will be accomplished in 2018, bringing the total to around 365.