Blue-and-white carriages from Alexandria’s famous tram lines were seen being carried out of the city on lorries last week, marking what many Alexandrians describe as the end of a cherished era.
For more than a century and a half, these carriages have transported millions of passengers across the city, becoming deeply woven into Alexandria’s identity and collective memory.
The sight of historic tram lines being dismantled and removed by bulldozers has left many residents heartbroken. For Alexandrians, the tramway has never been merely a means of transportation; it has long symbolised the spirit, rhythm, and heritage of the Mediterranean city.
The Ministry of Transport announced the launch of a rehabilitation project for the Raml tram line in February, aiming to transform it into a more modern and efficient urban transit system. The project is part of a broader plan to modernise and expand Alexandria’s overall transportation network.
The rehabilitation of the 163-year-old tram system represents one of the most significant transformations in Alexandria’s public transportation system in decades. The project is being financed through a partnership between the European Investment Bank (EIB), the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), and Egypt’s Ministry of Investment and International Cooperation.
The main beneficiary of the funding is the National Authority for Tunnels (NAT), which is overseeing investments aimed at modernising the metro and tram systems in both Alexandria and Cairo.
Beyond improving mobility, the project is expected to enhance the quality and accessibility of public transportation while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging commuters to shift from private cars to public transport.
The redevelopment will take place in two phases. The first phase focuses on design and planning and is expected to last approximately 12 months, followed by an implementation phase extending over at least two years. Planned works include the construction of viaducts, the installation of advanced electronic signaling systems, and the complete renewal of the tram carriages in Alexandria.
Several stations will also be relocated and upgraded to improve traffic flow and commuter experience.
The tramway’s carrying capacity is expected to increase from 4,700 passengers per hour per direction to nearly 13,800. Journey times are projected to fall from around 60 to 35 minutes, while waiting times between trams will be reduced from nine minutes to only three. The authorities say these upgrades will provide Alexandrians with a faster, smoother, and more reliable transportation system.
The rehabilitation project has also been designed to prioritise accessibility and integration with Alexandria’s wider transportation network. Modern low-floor tramcars are expected to improve mobility for elderly passengers and people with disabilities, while stronger connections between trams, buses, and shared taxis aim to create a more efficient urban transit system.
The project additionally proposes linking the Raml tram line with the Abu Qir railway line to improve passenger movement between the two systems.
HISTORY: The Alexandria tramway dates back more than 160 years and remains one of the oldest such systems in the world.
It was established with capital exceeding LE12,000 divided into 1,200 shares valued at LE100 each and offered under the Italian name of the Strada Ferrata tra Alessandria e Ramleh. Construction began in September 1862 with the laying of the first tracks near Cleopatra’s Needle at what is now known as Raml Station. The tram officially entered service on 8 September 1863.
In the earliest days, the trams were horse-drawn, with four horses pulling four carriages divided according to social classes: one first-class carriage, two second-class carriages, and a third-class carriage at the rear. The line connected the Alexandria Railway Station with the Gharah Station and quickly became a central part of life in the Mediterranean city.
“Each tramway station is a landmark name for the city’s identity and refers to slices of historical memory passed down from one generation to another,” said Mohamed Adel Desouki, an architect and lecturer at the Arab Academy for Science, Technology, and Maritime Transport.
Desouki is among many architects and preservationists who fear the rehabilitation project could threaten Alexandria’s architectural and cultural heritage, particularly historic stations listed on the city’s preservation registry.
Those concerns intensified after the demolition of the Bulkley Station, commonly known as the Isis Station, which was recently removed by bulldozers. The station was considered to be one of Alexandria’s historic tram stops and an important symbol of the city’s cosmopolitan past.
“The Isis or Bulkley Station has been demolished. There are four stations listed as part of the city’s heritage register. If they are listed, they are protected by law,” Desouki said. “To see them demolished like this is absolutely against the law. The Sporting station, Bulkley, the Mustafa Kamel Station, and Al-Gamaa [University] Station are all heritage stations that are supposed to be protected.”
“If you come across the station, you might wonder who Bulkley was and what he contributed to the city. We are talking about names that are tied to Alexandria’s history and identity as a cosmopolitan city that once included more than 10 communities from different ethnicities, religions, and backgrounds,” he added.
For Desouki, the tramway is more than an infrastructure that should be preserved simply because of its age. Each station name reflects a chapter in Alexandria’s history and preserves part of the city’s social and urban history, he said.
Although he acknowledges the technical advantages of the new project, including reduced travel times and greater passenger capacity, he remains concerned about the removal of 14 stations. “The new project will omit 14 stations. But these are essential because they may be people’s only reliable means of transportation. There is also the issue of history, identity, and heritage,” he said.
“This project cannot simply be measured by moving people from Point A to Point B. You are affecting students whose schools are located near these stations, as well as universities, hospitals, churches, and mosques. You are affecting all Alexandrians when you suddenly decide to eliminate 14 stations,” he added.
Named the “heart of Alexandria” by many residents, the tram network represents memories, heritage, and the city’s identity. Tourists often visit Alexandria specifically to ride Africa’s oldest tramway and experience the city through its moving carriages.
Wide tram windows frame Alexandria’s coastal scenery, green avenues, and historic neighbourhoods, while the iconic blue-and-white and yellow-and-white tramcars have become recurring symbols in local photography and art.
“The Alexandria tram is not just a traditional means of transportation; it is like a moving park that winds through the downtown landmarks of the ‘Bride of the Mediterranean’,” said Ali Al-Sayed, a former employee.
Al-Sayed worked for nearly two decades at the Alexandria Passenger Transport Authority (APTA). He describes the tram as a second home, having spent most of his daily life inside its historic cabins. Despite its slow pace and frequent overcrowding, he says he never grew tired of witnessing Alexandria’s heritage unfold before him every day.
“I love to hear the sound of the doors creaking open and the rush of passengers stepping aboard,” he said.
Although tram operations stopped nearly two months ago, Al-Sayed says residents continue to express their sadness over its absence. “An elderly woman came to me last month begging for the line to return because she now gets crushed inside overcrowded microbuses. She asked me to speak to my managers to stop the project and bring back the tram,” he recalled.
“The tram offered a convenient and safe means of transportation, especially for women since there were designated carriages for them, and for elderly people who saw the tram as a refuge from the city’s traffic congestion,” he added.
For decades, the tram has remained both a source of civic pride and a lifeline for tens of thousands of commuters across Egypt’s second-largest city. Despite its historic character, it also remained one of Alexandria’s most affordable transportation options, with tickets costing only LE5 and making it accessible to students, labourers, and pensioners amid rising living costs.
“This is why it was affordable for everyone — not only because of the price, but because it provided safety, enjoyment, and comfort that we no longer find in other forms of transportation,” said Mona Mohamed, an Alexandria resident.
“No matter how expensive your car might be, you can still end up trapped in traffic. But with the tram, you could move across the city while enjoying the scenery. I have friends from abroad who have come specifically to Alexandria to ride the blue-and-white tramcars, as if they were reading the city page by page along the tracks,” she added.
Although saddened by the disappearance of the historic line, Mohamed remains optimistic about the redevelopment project, however.
“Some stations genuinely needed rehabilitation because they had deteriorated and become overcrowded, noisy, and neglected. Lately, the tram had become extremely crowded, and it was not always clean. Sometimes you had to wait 45 minutes for a tram to arrive, while at other times it would come within five minutes.”
“There were no reliable schedules, which often made passengers anxious and frustrated,” she said.
CITY DIVIDED: The rehabilitation project has triggered intense debate across Alexandria. While some residents welcome the modernisation plans, others fear the city may lose one of its most recognisable symbols.
“I am a pure Alexandrian. I have lived all my life in this city, and like everyone else here, I have memories of the tram,” said Mohamed Fatouh, a lawyer. “I rode it to school, then to university, and even after I got married. I used to take it from my parents’ house to my own.”
For many Alexandrians, the tram holds the same symbolic significance as Alexandria’s coastline, the Montazah Palace Gardens, and the historic Antoniadis Gardens, all landmarks deeply tied to the city’s identity.
Among the strongest critics of the plans is Fatouh, who has filed a lawsuit challenging the project on the grounds that it violates heritage-preservation laws and constitutional protections. He cites Article 50 of the constitution, which obliges the state to preserve cultural heritage, as well as Law 144/2006, which protects historically significant structures that are more than a century old.
Public frustration intensified after tram operations were suspended, particularly as Alexandria is already struggling with traffic congestion caused by ongoing metro construction work between Abu Qir and Sidi Gaber.
Critics argue that shutting down one of the city’s most vital transportation systems while another major infrastructure project is underway has placed enormous pressure on commuters and road networks alike.
For many residents, however, the debate extends beyond transportation or infrastructure. It is ultimately about preserving the memory, rhythm, and soul of a city whose identity has long moved along the tracks of its historic tramway.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 14 May, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.
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