Egypt to Begin Operation of Talgo Train on Cairo-Alex. Line Next Week

On Thursday, the Transport Ministry announced the start of the operation of Spanish air-conditioned trains with passengers as of Saturday from Ramsis station in Cairo to Sidi Gaber and Misr railway stations in Alexandria.

The experimental operation of the train without passengers ended on Thursday, a statement from the Transport Ministry said.

The train will set off daily from Misr station in Alexandria at 5:55 am and from Sidi Gaber station 6:05 am en route to Cairo, the statement said.

The operation of new trains move comes as part of the political leadership's directives to upgrade railway mechanisms, including carriages and human cadres, to ensure better services to citizens.

The new train consists of five air-conditioned first-class railcars, eight air-conditioned second-class railcars, a caboose, an engine, and a power car.

It is the first to be received by Egypt as part of a contract with the Spanish Talgo company to supply Egypt with seven trains.

The new trains - part of a €125.6 million deal, will be made of aluminum, which reduces their weight and helps to save the train’s consumption of fuel in the journey.

It is also resistant to rust and therefore does not corrode from the water used in the cleanliness and maintenance of trains, which extends the life span of such trains.

For people with special needs, each seat of the first air-conditioned carriages is equipped with a display screen to display film materials, in addition to the presence of central screens in the second-class air-conditioned carriages, and there will be surveillance cameras in those trains to secure the passengers.