Egypt expects to multiply its cargo railway transportation capacity with the development of a high-speed electric network that will connect industrial areas, agricultural zones, and maritime ports. The project, driven by the Ministry of Transportation, aims to raise the annual volume of cargo transported by rail to 13 million tons, up from the current 4 to 5 million handled by the conventional network.
The announcement was made by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transportation, Kamel Al Wazir, during a commemorative event for Siemens' 125 years in the country. The new railway network will link the Red Sea coast with the Mediterranean and connect raw material areas such as Abu Tartur, Qena, and Aswan with export ports.
The route will, for the first time, connect coastal cities of the Red Sea with the Nile Delta and extend connectivity to areas like East Oweinat and Toshka. According to the Egyptian government, the infrastructure will contribute to regional development and sustainable urban planning.
The high-speed network is designed as a multimodal logistics corridor that will integrate rail, road transport, and airport connections. The project contemplates interconnection of maritime ports, dry ports, and logistics centers with main road networks, facilitating the movement of goods between production areas and consumption or export markets.
The first two lines align with the so-called 'Development Corridor,' a strategic axis proposed to the west of the Nile Valley. This corridor aims to articulate new settlement and economic activity areas parallel to the traditional riverbed, decongesting the most densely populated areas.
Additionally, the network will support exports from new agricultural areas such as New Delta, West Minya, and Toshka, improving access to both national and international markets. Improving transit times and the reliability of rail transport is part of the strategy to reduce reliance on road transport.
In its initial phase, the high-speed network will reach approximately 2,000 kilometers, with plans to expand to 2,250 kilometers through a fourth line between Port Said and Alexandria. At the same time, the passenger transport capacity will double compared to the current conventional network.
The project also includes improvements to regional connectivity, with potential cross-border railway links to Sudan and Libya, which would strengthen Egypt's role as a logistics hub in North Africa and the eastern Mediterranean.
As part of the modernization plan, 41 Siemens Mobility Vectron locomotives will be incorporated, each capable of hauling up to 1,200 tons. Additionally, investments in dry ports, new terminals, and capacity expansions at maritime ports are planned.
The Egyptian government sees the expansion of rail cargo transport as one of the pillars to achieve its transportation objectives by 2030. According to data cited by Siemens Mobility, the railway should absorb 46% of the expected growth in total cargo volume by that date.
Although the main focus is on cargo transport, the network will also connect tourist destinations such as Hurghada, Luxor, Aswan, and Abu Simbel, facilitating multi-destination travel. The project will link both banks of the Nile and new emerging economic zones, in line with the government's plans for population redistribution and territorial development.
With this infrastructure, Egypt aims to integrate its logistics chains more efficiently, combining rail, maritime, air, and road transport into a coordinated system that supports the country's industrial growth and export activity.