Aswan: Minister of Transport Kamel El Wazir inspected work sites along the second line of Egypt's high-speed electric rail network, which extends from October City to Aswan and Abu Simbel over a distance of 1,100 km. He reviewed progress on the 210-km stretch between Aswan and Luxor. The inspection tour was part of directives from President Abdel Fattah El Sisi for continuous follow-up on the national high-speed rail network project.
According to State Information Service Egypt, during the tour of Aswan and Luxor governorates, El Wazir examined several transport and development projects being executed by the ministry. He was accompanied by Aswan Governor Amr Lashin and Luxor Governor Abdel Mottaleb Emara. The Minister inspected nine stations along the Aswan-Luxor section, which include three high-speed rail stations and six regional rail stations. These stations are part of the 36 planned for the second line of the network, consisting of 13 high-speed rail stations and 23 regional stations.
El Wazir assessed station construction, implementation schedules, and investment plans for each station. He instructed contractors to intensify work around the clock and ensure all activities meet the highest quality standards. The Minister highlighted that station locations were chosen to be near major roads, residential areas, and intersections with the Nile corridor to serve residents of Upper Egypt governorates. He also noted that access roads were designed to accommodate traffic from all directions, with parking facilities established to connect stations with surrounding cities and villages.
The Minister also reviewed the construction of bridges and other engineering structures by Egyptian national companies, emphasizing the importance of maintaining high-quality standards due to the strategic significance of the line. El Wazir noted that the second high-speed rail line is part of the Alexandria-Cairo-Aswan-Toshka logistics development corridor. This corridor aims to establish a development path west of the Western Desert Road and link agricultural production areas in Toshka, western Aswan, and western Minya with consumption centers in Cairo and export hubs in Alexandria.
The project aims to connect major tourist destinations, such as Abu Simbel, Aswan, Luxor, Abydos, and Upper Egypt, with the Pyramids and Giza area in Cairo. El Wazir stated that the second line would facilitate the transport of raw materials and quarry products from production areas in Abu Tartour, Qena, and Aswan to export ports, reducing environmental pollution from diesel locomotive operations.
He mentioned that the three high-speed rail lines would create thousands of direct and indirect jobs and significantly reduce travel times between governorates to less than half the time currently required through the existing rail network or road system. Egypt's high-speed rail network comprises three lines extending over a total length of 2,000 km and includes 60 stations, two main maintenance workshops, and five maintenance points. The network's fleet will consist of 41 high-speed trains, 94 regional trains, and 41 freight locomotives.
The second line, extending from October City to Aswan and Abu Simbel, spans 1,100 km and includes 36 stations, a control and operations center, a major maintenance workshop, and three maintenance and storage depots located in Aswan, Abu Simbel, and Safaga.