German Ambassador in Cairo Frank Hartmann, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Minister of Transport Kamel El-Wazir and Chief Executive Officer of Siemens Roland Busch attending the signing ceremony of designing and implementing the first line of Egypt's electric express train on Wednesday 1 September, 2021. (Photo courtesy of Egyptian cabinet)
Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly attended on Wednesday the signing ceremony for the design and implementation of the first line of Egypt’s electric express train that will extend from Ain Sokhna to Matrouh.
During the ceremony, Madbouly asserted President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi’s interest in the project, which is considered a momentous leap in Egypt’s transportation system.
The prime minister stated that the new train would contribute to the aspired development process, thanking Siemens for its efforts to implement the project.
He described Siemens, which has implemented major electric power plants in the country in the last several years, as a “successful partner” for Egyptians in different sectors.
The ceremony was also attended by Minister of Transport Kamel El-Wazir and German Ambassador in Cairo Frank Hartmann.
Minister of Transport Kamel El-Wazir showing the electric train's maquette to Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Chief Executive Officer of Siemens Roland Busch on Wednesday 1 September, 2021. (Photo courtesy of Egyptian cabinet)
The contract stipulates that the 660 km-long line will be designed, implemented, and maintained for 15 years at a cost of 4.45 billion dollars — on the basis of the EPC+F system — by the National Authority for Tunnels, an Egyptian German consortium under Siemens, the Arab Contractors, and Orascom.
El-Wazir said the consortium would implement all of the project’s systems, including signals, communications, and electro-mechanics, and will also design the carriages and maintenance workshops.
According to the government, the newly signed project will assist development by connecting the country’s industrial districts in order to transport cargo to and from ports nationwide.
It is set to connect the city of Ain Sokhna on the Red Sea coast with the city of Marsa Matrouh on the Mediterranean coast in the far northwest of the country, passing through the New Administrative Capital, Helwan, 6 of October City, Alexandria, Borg Al-Arab, and Al-Alamein, spanning 660 km and including 21 stations.
The train’s first line is going to be part of the network of environmentally friendly electric express trains that will constitute a major qualitative leap in the field of Egyptian transportation, a statement by the cabinet said.
The network is planned to comprise three integrated lines with a total length of 1,825 km. The second line will branch out from October station and extend west of the Western Upper Egypt Desert Road to Aswan with a length of 925 km, where it will merge with the 6 of October monorail.
The third line will take off from Qena Station to Luxor and then continue eastward to Hurghada followed by Safaga Port, covering a distance of 240 km.
The three models of Egypt's electric train network
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