Travellers getting off the Train in Cairo Train station. Photo courtesy of Egyptian Transportation Ministry
The project is part of a nationwide effort to replace manual railway operations with computerized signalling and centralized traffic management systems to improve safety, efficiency, and network capacity amid rising passenger demand.
The ministry has implemented a comprehensive development plan, covering rolling stock, infrastructure, and operational systems to improve efficiency and accommodate growing passenger numbers, Amer said during a telephone interview with Al-Hayat TV's Al-Saa 6 programme.
The railway authority has added 210 locomotives, six Talgo trains, and 1,066 passenger carriages, supplied through cooperation with Hungary's Transmash company and other suppliers, he stated.
Amer added that ENR has modernized 300 of its 708 stations, renewed 2,000 kilometres of track across the network's 10,000-kilometre rail system, and replaced 400 railway switches.
He noted that the authority has also upgraded signalling and control systems that were previously operated manually.
The Cairo–Alexandria railway line is now operated through a fully automated control system from a centralized control centre in Cairo’s Mohamsha area, with no direct human involvement in train operations, Amer said.
Passenger traffic has increased significantly alongside the modernization programme, rising from about 700,000 passengers a day to around 1.2 million, he added.
During the Eid Al-Adha holiday, ridership peaked at approximately 1.6 million passengers per day, prompting ENR to operate 60 additional trains to accommodate demand.
"The Eid holiday is similar to a pilgrimage season for us, with large numbers travelling from northern to southern governorates," Amer said, adding that handling such volumes would have been impossible without the new systems and upgrades.
Egypt has been carrying out one of its largest rail modernization programmes, investing in new trains, digital signalling systems, station upgrades, and track renewal to improve safety, increase capacity, and modernize passenger services.
In April, the Ministry of Transport signed agreements worth EGP 2.4 billion to manufacture and supply 500 new air-conditioned passenger railcars and establish a specialized railway maintenance company, as part of efforts to localize the railway industry and reduce reliance on imports.
The agreements build on earlier fleet-renewal projects that brought more than 1,300 new passenger railcars into service through cooperation with the Russian-Hungarian Transmashholding consortium, alongside the introduction of Spanish-made Talgo trains on major intercity routes, including Cairo–Alexandria and Upper Egypt services.
The railway sector has also accelerated the modernization of signalling systems, replacing decades-old manual operations with computerized control and centralized traffic management.
The Cairo–Alexandria line has already been upgraded to an electronic control system, while additional projects are underway on Upper Egypt corridors as part of a nationwide plan to improve operational efficiency and increase network capacity.
The railway modernization drive is part of a broader transport ministry strategy that includes expanding electric railways, high-speed rail projects, metro lines, and logistics corridors to strengthen Egypt's transportation infrastructure and support economic growth.
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