Egypt to Carry Out Comprehensive Railway Network Development

Egypt’s Transport Minister Kamel al-Wazir in Cairo. (Ministry of Transport)
Egypt’s Transport Minister Kamel al-Wazir in Cairo. (Ministry of Transport)
TT
20

Egypt to Carry Out Comprehensive Railway Network Development

Egypt’s Transport Minister Kamel al-Wazir in Cairo. (Ministry of Transport)
Egypt’s Transport Minister Kamel al-Wazir in Cairo. (Ministry of Transport)

The Egyptian government is developing its railway network to provide distinguished services to passengers of trains and Cairo metro, Minister of Transport Kamel al-Wazir said.

Wazir said President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had directed to expand and complete the railway network and develop and rehabilitate Helwan and Shubra el-Kheima train stations.

Wazir added that the political leadership also ordered establishing a giant transportation network of environmentally-friendly electric traction means, such as the three-line monorail network and the monorail and light rail projects, which constitute a major qualitative leap in the country’s means of transportation.

According to the government, the railway development project is based on several elements, including the mobile units (cars and tractors) and the rails (rails, stations and level crossings).

In addition to that, it targets developing the traffic light system to increase safety and security factors and supplying the project sites with all modern equipment, as well as training and educating workers.

Last year, Egypt witnessed several train accidents that left dozens of people dead and injured.

Wazir inspected on Saturday Cairo's main Ramses railway station and was briefed on the trial operation of its electronic gates.

He was also briefed on the new reservation system and its integration with the old reservation system and electronic portals.
According to the Ministry statement, e-gates have been installed at Ramses, Giza, Sidi Gaber, Misr in Alexandria, and Damanhour stations to regulate the entry and exit of passengers.

Wazir said the first metro line will be developed to improve the trains’ arrival times and the service provided to passengers, develop traffic, communication and central control systems, as well as the mobile units by purchasing 55 new air-conditioned trains.



Blaze at Cairo Telecom Building Kills 4 and Disrupts Internet, Phone

A boy wearing a mask looks on, as firefighters work to extinguish a fire that erupted in a telecommunications building in the Ramses district of downtown Cairo, Egypt July 7, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
A boy wearing a mask looks on, as firefighters work to extinguish a fire that erupted in a telecommunications building in the Ramses district of downtown Cairo, Egypt July 7, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
TT
20

Blaze at Cairo Telecom Building Kills 4 and Disrupts Internet, Phone

A boy wearing a mask looks on, as firefighters work to extinguish a fire that erupted in a telecommunications building in the Ramses district of downtown Cairo, Egypt July 7, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh
A boy wearing a mask looks on, as firefighters work to extinguish a fire that erupted in a telecommunications building in the Ramses district of downtown Cairo, Egypt July 7, 2025. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

Four workers were killed and at least 22 others were injured in a fire that broke out on Monday at a key data center in Cairo, Hossam Abdel Ghaffar, the spokesperson at Egypt's Health Ministry, told Reuters on Tuesday.

The blaze at a Telecom Egypt facility, which state TV said was contained on Monday, caused disruptions to communications across the capital.

Egypt's Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Amr Talaat, said in a statement on Tuesday that services will be gradually restored within 24 hours.

In a statement on Tuesday, Telecom Egypt said it mourned the employees that lost their lives and offered support for their families.

The fire halted phone calls, and disrupted internet access, with internet monitoring group Netblocks saying network data showed national connectivity at 62% of ordinary levels.

The health ministry posted alternative numbers for ambulance services across different governorates in case people were unable to reach its main hotline.

Besides phone calls, some digital banking services were also impacted including credit cards, ATM machines and online transactions, a bank source and residents said on Monday. Banks had already been closed for the day.

The injuries were mostly because of smoke inhalation, health ministry spokesperson Ghaffar said on Monday.

The state news agency MENA said on Monday the fire had been prevented from spreading to the entire building and neighboring rooftops.

An initial examination indicated that the fire was likely to have been caused by an electrical short circuit, MENA cited a security source as saying.