The move succeeds the Egyptian National Railways (ENR) and Spanish train manufacturer Talgo signing a memorandum of understanding in November 2021 for the production and delivery of sleeper trains.

The Egyptian House of Representatives approved the deal in June, due to the urgent need to modernize the country’s ageing railway fleet.

To cover the entire cost of the deal, the Spanish government provided its Egyptian counterpart with a soft credit facility of 200 million euros.

Under the deal, Talgo will be responsible for maintenance work for 15 years, including ensuring the availability of spare parts and equipment.

The seven trains will increase the number of trips on the railway network lines, promoting domestic tourism.

Each train will have 18 cars in total, divided into five first-class and 10 second-class cars, a power car, a club car, and a buffet car.

History of cooperation
 

In April 2019, Egypt signed a contract with 157 million euros to buy six air-conditioned passenger trains with the international Spanish Talgo manufacturer.

These trains feature advanced technological capabilities and can operate at high speeds of up to 160 km/h.

In March 2023, ENR and Talgo signed a cooperation protocol for establishing a Talgo Egyptian factory for manufacturing train carriages.

The factory, established on 20 acres in Beni Suef, Upper Egypt, produces 50 trains in the first phase and an additional 50 in the second. The factory will depend on local supplies for 45 percent of local components.

Egyptian engineers and technicians handle all manufacturing stages, with supervision from Spanish experts, according to a statement by the Ministry of Industry and Transport.

Upgrading railways
 

Egypt has imported Talgo trains to upgrade its decades-old railway trains to ensure better services to citizens.

The country has adopted a plan to completely develop the entire railway system and replace all old railcars with either upgraded or new ones.

The plan also involves upgrading railway signalling systems for higher safety, improving workshops and supplying them with modern equipment, and installing automatic train control with a speed control mechanism in response to any emergency.