Egypt's plan for high speed rail - Brief Article

Railway Age, August, 2000

Egypt is planning to solicit international bids by year-end for construction of a 625-mile, 186-mph, $2.88 billion high speed railway linking Alexandria on the Mediterranean coast to Aswan. The existing Alexandria-Aswan line has a serious maintenance backlog, and train services are slow.

The Egyptian Transport Ministry expects the first 125-mile phase from Alexandria to Cairo completed in about two years at a cost of $1.2 billion, with the second 500-mile phase from Cairo to Aswan requiring an additional three years. The high speed route would follow the Nile River through tourist destinations including Luxor. The Egyptian transport minister, Ibrahim el-Demiri, says the proposed line will provide faster transport for tourists, who are one of the four largest contributors to Egypt's income from foreign sources. Spanish National Railway is helping Egypt complete a viability study.