Egypt is building a high-speed rail worth billions of USD

Passengers and cargo will soon be able to go through the Egyptian desert aboard a 4.5 billion-USD high-speed train for the first time in the country.

German company Siemens Mobility signed a contract with Egypt’s National Authority for Tunnels (NAT) to build the initial 660 kilometers out of the planned 1,800-kilometer network. The first line will connect the port cities of Ain Sokhna town on the Red Sea to two cities Marsa Matrouh and Alexandria on the Mediterranean. According to the company, the first section of this line will be operated by 2023. To complete the project, 15,000 local jobs will be created.

Photo: CNN.

Michael Peter, Siemens Mobility’s CEO, told CNN: “The train will cut travelling times and it will make rail the most effective choice of travel. In Egypt, the population is growing, the economy is growing, so it will attract a lot more traffic and the question is which type of transportation will people and goods use.”

According to Siemens, the project will transport more than 30 million people per year and will cut travel time by as much as 50%, while increasing freight capacity by 15%. In addition, Siemens said the electrified system would cut carbon emissions by 70% compared to the current emissions from car and bus transportation.

Kamel El-Wazir, Egyptian Minister of Transport, said in a press release: “The high-speed train will strengthen the infrastructure of the areas it passes through and help achieve urban sprawl.” Besides, the rail line is expected to also help promote tourism, an industry Egypt depends on so much.