Egypt’s Minister of Transport Kamel El-Wazir announced, on Sunday, that a new batch of 19 railway passenger cars has arrived at the Alexandria Port.
It comes as part of a deal to manufacture and supply the country with 1,300 new railcars, with which it will upgrade its railway system.
El-Wazir said that the €1.16bn worth deal, signed by the Egyptian Railways Authority (ERA) and Russia’s Transmach as a representative of a Russian-Hungarian alliance, is the largest deal in the history of Egypt’s railway system.
The minister added that the 19 vehicles will be used for third-class passengers, and come with dynamic ventilation. The new batch brings the total number of railcars that have arrived so far as part of the deal to 227 units.
The 1,300 vehicles that will be provided to Egypt include 800 air-conditioned cars and 500 third-class cars with dynamic ventilation. The air-conditioned cars include: 500 third-class cars, a new service that will be offered to passengers for the first time in Egypt’s rail system; 180 second-class luxury cars; 90 luxury first-class cars; and 30 air-conditioned cars provided with buffets.
El-Wazir said that the deal is one of the fruits of several huge contracts that have been signed to develop Egypt’s transport sector, including the country’s railways, and to provide all capabilities to upgrade it according to the latest international technological systems.
He added that the deal contributes to raising the efficiency of daily operations and regularity of operating schedules.
