According to new government plans, Egypt’s rail system will be able to carry up to 2 million passengers daily.
On the Upper Egypt line, a new fleet of Spanish Talgo trains will be introduced by the Egyptian Railways Authority on Sunday.
“The Spanish Talgo trains signify a big quantum leap in the history of railroads because they are equivalent to the trains running in European nations,” authority chairman Mohamed Amer told Arab News.
The Talgo train, he continued, is equipped with cutting-edge technology, is designed to retain stability thanks to its aluminum carriages, and is comfortable for passengers. Amer added that the train’s fuel economy will support Egypt’s environmental goals. In addition to other features, first-class carriages include display displays next to each seat, and second-class carriages have central screens.
There are monitoring rooms and security cameras on board the Talgo trains. Amer noted that the authority’s efforts to improve Egypt’s railways go beyond simply introducing new trains and include setting aggressive daily and annual passenger targets.
The rail system carried 900,000 people each day in 2014. According to a report by Egypt’s National Railways, a development strategy is aiming to double daily passenger transport to 1.5 million by 2024 and 2 million by 2030.
Additionally, there are plans to increase the freight transit capacity from 4.5 million tonnes in 2014 to 13 million tonnes in 2030.