The Egyptian government has agreed to terms and conditions for the country's first high-speed train project, to be formally announced to international and domestic engineering companies within days, state-run daily Al-Ahram reported Monday.

The total cost of the project has yet to be set.

Transportation Minister Mohamed Rashad El-Mateeny said the first phase of the planned train project would link Alexandria with 6 October City on the outskirts of Cairo.

Al-Meteeny added that the project would help Egypt's struggling tourist industry and help meet the rapid rise of passenger numbers, especially those traveling to and from Upper Egypt.