Cairo - Egypt

Egypt is preparing to enter a new era of mass transportation with the double-decker regional express train “Desero” about to enter service, in a qualitative shift that enhances the connection between major cities and promising tourist destinations, within the express electric train network, which is considered the largest in the region.

Double-decker train for the first time in Egypt

The Desiro regional train, which was manufactured in Germany with international specifications, represents the first double-decker electric train to enter service in Egypt, with a capacity of up to 849 passengers, and a maximum operating speed of 160 kilometers per hour. The trains are currently undergoing technical inspections and final preparations inside the October Gardens workshop, in preparation for entering service on the express electric train lines.

The first line: linking the Red Sea to the Mediterranean

The first line of the high-speed electric train network extends 675 kilometers, starting from the city of Sokhna on the Red Sea coast, passing through the New Administrative Capital, 6th of October City, and Alexandria, all the way to New Alamein and Marsa Matrouh on the Mediterranean coast, in a project described as “the Suez Canal on rails.” The line includes 21 stations, including 8 stations for the regional train and 13 stations for the express train.

Trial run in October

In a notable development, Lieutenant General Engineer Kamel Al-Wazir, the Egyptian Minister of Transport, revealed that the trial operation without passengers for one of the first line sectors will begin as of early next October, with the trial operation for the entire line continuing, and then the operation with passengers will begin as soon as the technical and security readiness is complete. The minister stressed that the project, on which work began in 2019, is “a national achievement implemented by Egyptian engineers and workers.”

A 2,000 km network serving 90% of the population

The high-speed electric train network includes three main lines with a total length of 2,000 km, including the second line from October 6 to Abu Simbel, with a length of 1,100 km, and the third line from Qena to Hurghada and Safaga, with a length of 175 km. When completed, the network will serve about 90% of Egypt's population, with a capacity of up to 2.5 million passengers daily by 2030.

Naqla Tourism and Investment

The project represents a qualitative leap for Egyptian tourism, as it connects the major tourist destinations in the Red Sea, El Alamein, Matrouh and Upper Egypt, which facilitates the movement of Arab and foreign tourists between tourist destinations in record time, and provides a modern and safe alternative at competitive prices. The high-speed train is scheduled to transport passengers between Cairo and Alexandria in about one hour and 25 minutes, and from Cairo to Marsa Matrouh in only two hours and 35 minutes.