Egypt to purchase 6 new sleeping trains

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Sun, 01 Nov 2020 - 02:38 GMT

BY

Sun, 01 Nov 2020 - 02:38 GMT

Sleeping train – Wikimedia Commons

Sleeping train – Wikimedia Commons

CAIRO – 1 November 2020: Minister of Transportation Kamel al-Wazir instructed the Egyptian Railway Authority (ERA) to purchase six new sleeping trains as the country currently has just four that either require rehabilitation or have to be put out of service.

 

The new trains will operate between Alexandria and Aswan passing through all governorates – particularly touristic ones - in between.

 

In a similar context, the Cabinet approved On October 26 the establishment of the National Company for Railway Industries in SCzone in order to manufacture, maintain, replace, and renew railcars with the aim of localizing that industry in Egypt.

 

Last week, sources at the Egyptian Railway Authority (ERA) told Egypt Today that 17 Transmashholding third-class dynamic-ventilation railcars will be delivered within days.

 

When those units arrive, the total number of railcars delivered of that category will be 121. It is noted that Egypt receives every month a batch of 35 railcars of various categories as part of a €1.02-billion deal to purchase 1,300 railcars.

 

The contract states that 650 railcars will be supplied from Hungary, 500 will be delivered by Russia, and 150 will be manufactured by Egypt under the supervision of Transmashholding. An Egyptian locomotive factory will be established as part of a plan to localize the locomotive industry in Egypt and transfer the know-how to workers, technicians, and engineers in the sector. The factory will produce 150 railcars and also provide maintenance services.
 

 

The contract consists of 500 third-class air-conditioned railcars, 180 second-class air-conditioned railcars, 90 first-class air-conditioned railcars, 500 third-class dynamic-ventilation railcars, and 30 air-conditioned cabooses.

 

The contract is funded by a soft loan billion granted by Hungarian Export-Import Bank (EXIM) and State Specialized Russian Export- Import Bank (Eximbank of Russia). The 1,300 railcars shall be delivered over batches within 40 months by the end of 2021 since the loan procedures were finalized in December 2019.

 

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