Cairo: Minister of Transport Kamel El-Wazir met with CEO of Austria's Plasser, Max Theurer, and Austrian Ambassador to Cairo, Georg Postinger, to discuss the company's proposal to establish a regional center for the maintenance of track renewal machines, production of spare parts, and overhaul of railway equipment.
According to State Information Service Egypt, El-Wazir emphasized the depth of Egyptian-Austrian relations, highlighting the fruitful cooperation and long-standing partnership between the Egyptian National Railways Authority and Plasser. The minister noted that this cooperation should serve as a foundation for further development through the establishment of a regional maintenance center. This center would focus on maintaining track renewal machines, manufacturing spare parts at railway workshops, and conducting overhauls of railway machinery. It is intended to serve the local market while supporting exports, particularly to Arab, African, and Middle Eastern countries. This initiative aligns with the Ministry of Transport's plan to collaborate with reputable international companies to localize various transport industries, including manufacturing transport components and vehicles.
The CEO of Plasser confirmed that the technical and implementation timeline for the project is being prepared and will be shared with the Egyptian side. The meeting also reviewed steps taken by Plasser Egypt to begin training Egyptian engineers and workers in after-sales maintenance for existing machines and those to be supplied to the Egyptian National Railways Authority. This training will also extend to machines delivered by the company to several Arab and African countries.
Furthermore, the two sides reviewed the timetable for delivering 14 advanced maintenance machines specialized in servicing modern railway tracks, aimed at strengthening railway infrastructure maintenance in Egypt. The contract includes the supply of various machines, such as continuous track tamping machines, turnout tamping machines, ballast profiling machines, track lining machines, and a rail welding machine. Delivery is scheduled to begin in July, with all contracted machines expected to be supplied by the end of the current year.