Egypt’s first high-speed electric railway will link the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea by land and serve as a “Suez Canal on rails,” Transport Minister Kamel al-Wazir said on Wednesday.
During an inspection of the first line of the project linking Ain Sokhna, Alamein and Matrouh, Mr Alwajir reviewed the progress made at the October garden workshop. The facility is located on 578 acres and is one of the largest railroad maintenance and operations centers in the region, the department said in a statement.
This workshop is being developed by two consortia. A partnership between Orascom and Al Rowad is responsible for the civil, architectural and infrastructure works, while a second group consisting of Siemens, Orascom and Arab contractors is responsible for track installation, signaling, power and control systems.
The facility includes 46 buildings, including a 67,000 square meter heavy maintenance building and an administrative center that the ministry describes as one of the largest in Africa and the Middle East. The workshop is designed to store up to 50 trains and locomotives and will manage the operations and maintenance of all three lines planned within the network.
Regarding infrastructure progress, the National Tunnel Authority (NAT) reported that 88.3km of track has been installed in the East Nile sector, a further 18km in the West Nile sector and 27km in the North Nile sector. Part of the route was handed over to a Siemens-led consortium for ballasting and installation of overhead line masts.
Accompanied by Deputy Electric Traction Minister Wagdi Radwan and NAT Chairman Tarek Goweiri, Mr. Alwajir also reviewed the finishing works of the station and plans for passenger flow. The Minister cited the role of workplaces in ensuring safe and effective operations and directed that work on site continue 24 hours a day to meet quality standards.
The ministry said the project is part of Egypt’s transition to sustainable green transport in line with the National Climate Strategy and Egypt Vision 2030. Al-Wazir added that the network is expected to improve supply chain efficiency, attract investment and support urban development by connecting new regions to existing cities.
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