Exploring Egypt from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean is about to become much easier, as the country intends to meet its first high-speed train line. The entire route will cover 1,000 km (approximately 621 miles), connecting the two seas with 15 stops along the way.
The first section will cover 460 km (approximately 286 miles), connecting El Alamein on the Mediterranean coast of Egypt and Ain Sokhna, reports Lonely Planet. These small towns are growing rapidly, and the passing train line can even speed up this process. Among the 15 high-speed rail stations is the so-called “new administrative capital”, which began construction in 2015 in an effort to move government buildings about 28 miles outside Cairo.
According to Lonely Planet, the construction of the new train line will take about two years and will be designed, installed and maintained by Siemens, the German industrial production company.
“We are honored and proud to expand our trusted partnership with Egypt,” Joe Kaeser, President and CEO of Siemens AG, told Lonely Planet. “By building a highly efficient railway system for the country, we will support the Egyptian people with accessible, clean and reliable transport.”
Although it will be Egypt’s first high-speed train, the country has had a train network since the 1850s and was actually the first country in Africa and the Middle East to have one. The current train system in Egypt is extensive, with over 3,000 miles of rails connecting almost all major cities and towns. Unfortunately, the system is also old and underfunded, which has led to several fatal accidents in recent years. According to Lonely Planet, while construction work is underway on new tracks for the high-speed train, Egypt still receives a monthly delivery of new train cars made in Russia to upgrade its current fleet.
