Travellers getting off the Train in Cairo Train station. Photo courtesy of Egyptian Transportation Ministry
Bookings will open progressively under the authority's pre-booking system for all trains across the national rail network, ahead of the four-day religious holiday set to begin on 26 May.
Under the timetable announced by the authority, ticket sales for travel on 21 May will begin on 7 May, while reservations for trips scheduled between 22 and 27 May will open sequentially from 8 to 13 May, with each travel date becoming available 14 days in advance.
The authority said ticket purchases at station booking windows would be limited to four per passenger using a national ID card, in a move aimed at regulating sales and ensuring ticket availability for as many travelers as possible.
The authority said passengers can reserve tickets through station booking offices nationwide, its official website, and the Egyptian National Railways mobile application available on the Play Store and App Store.
Tickets are also available through authorized electronic payment agents, the voice booking service on 1661 for mobile phones and 09000661 for landlines, 34 external booking offices across the country, and self-service TVM machines at selected major stations.
The authority said it is continuing efforts to improve passenger services and facilitate travel during the Eid Al-Adha holiday period.
During major national and religious holidays, Egyptian National Railways typically implements special operating plans to accommodate increased travel demand.
These measures include tighter station monitoring, intensified maintenance and inspection campaigns, and expanded booking arrangements, particularly on Upper Egypt routes, which are among the busiest in the network.
The railway authority has increasingly relied on booking systems and national ID-linked ticket purchases in recent years to regulate sales, improve passenger access to tickets, and limit unofficial resale practices.
Authorities have also expanded digital booking services to reduce overcrowding at stations and combat ticket black-market activity, introducing online reservations, mobile applications, self-service ticket machines, and electronic payment systems.
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