Siemens will Upgrade Railway Network in Egypt

The modernisation, which is part of a plan to upgrade Egypt’s rail system, aims to increase safety levels and allow the railway’s maximum speed to be raised from 140km/h to 160km/h.

The upgrade will be carried out on rail corridors from Zagazig to Abu Kebir in the north of Cairo and from Benha to Port Said, a strategic port situated on the northern end of the Suez Canal to the Mediterranean Sea.

Siemens mobility division CEO Jochen Eickholt said: “The existing mechanical interlocking systems will be being replaced by modern, state-of-the-art centrally controlled electronic systems.

“This will enable both the safety and throughput of passenger trains to be increased, as well as the freight volume on the routes.”

Under the deal, Siemens will provide the electronic interlocking systems, point mechanisms, level-crossing technology and communication technology for the routes, which include 21 stations.

Commissioning is expected to be completed and the routes are expected to be operational by 2020.

The contract also includes equipping the operations control center located in Zagazig and modifications to signaling equipment.

More than 9,500km of the Egyptian rail network carries 500 million passengers and six million tons of goods per year.

It is reported that less than a third of the rail network is double tracked. The transport ministry approved a programme to modernise the signaling system of the entire railway network in the country.