High-Speed Rail Network to Carry 2.5 Million Passengers Daily by 2030

A 2,250km high-speed electric rail network is under development alongside upgrades to Egypt’s 10,000km conventional railway system, with combined capacity across both networks targeted to reach around 4 million passengers per day by 2030.

Transport Minister Kamel Al-Wazir outlined the plans during an inspection of the first high-speed line linking Ain Sokhna, Alamein and Marsa Matrouh.

The first three high-speed lines, covering a combined 2,000km, are currently under construction. They include the Ain Sokhna–Marsa Matrouh route via Cairo and Alexandria, the 6th of October–Abu Simbel line serving Upper Egypt, and a route linking Qena with Safaga and Hurghada.

A fourth 250km line connecting Port Said and Alexandria is planned in partnership with the private sector.

Trial operations without passengers are scheduled to begin on a section of the first line in early October, followed by phased testing across the full route. Passenger services will begin once technical and safety requirements have been completed.

Once the first three high-speed lines are operational, they are expected to carry around 2.5 million passengers daily. The conventional railway network is separately targeted to reach 1.5 million passengers per day by 2030.

Around 900 trains currently operate each day on the conventional network, using approximately 1,000 locomotives and 4,000 railcars and carrying between 1.1 million and 1.2 million passengers.

Upgrades to that network include signalling modernisation and around 400km of new railway lines serving industrial areas in 10th of Ramadan, 6th of October, Sadat City and Borg El Arab.