Rail transport in Egypt



Egyptian National Railways (ENR) is the national railway of Egypt and managed by the parastatal Egyptian Railway Authority (ERA).

History

Already in 1833 Pasha Mohammad Ali consulted with Thomas Gallway about building a railway between Suez and Cairo to facilitate transit between Europe and India. Muhammad Ali had proceeded to buy the rail when the project was abandoned due to pressure by the French who had an interest in building a canal instead. The Suez Canal was eventually completed in 1869. After Mohamed Ali’s death Abbas I contracted with Robert Stephenson to link Alexandria and Cairo by rail. The first part of this railway between Alexandria and Kafer Eassa was opened in 1854, and the line was completed two years later representing the first railroad in Africa and in the Middle East.^[1]

The Imbaba bridge was constructed in 1891 to allow trains to cross the Nile near Cairo, a key step to connect Lower and Upper Egypt.^{citation needed} The contemporary Imbaba bridge was erected in 1924 and represents the only railway crossing of the Nile in Cairo. The El Ferdan Railway Bridge rebuilt in 2001 is the largest swing bridge in the world and crosses the Suez Canal. The Palestine Railway linked El Kantara (East) with Turkey. It was built in two phases during WW1 and WW2. Commenced in 1916, it extended to Rafa on the border with Palestine as part of campaigns against the Ottoman Empire. The route was extended along the Mediterranean Coast to link with Turkish Railways in 1940 and became a vital part of the supply chain for Egypt.

Projects

There are long term projects to link to Libya and re-open the Palestine Railway.

Operations

In 2005 ENR operated 5,063 km of rail using standard gauge of 1435 mm. Most of the rail system is focused on the nile delta with lines essentially fanning out from Cairo. In addition, there is a line to the west along the coast that eventually could link to Libya (as it did during World War II). From Cairo goes a major line south along the east bank of the Nile to Aswan (Sellel) in Upper Egypt. Neighboring Israel uses the same standard gauge but is no longer linked.^[2] In the South the railway system of Sudan operates on a narrow gauge and is reached after using the ferry past the Aswan dam. Rail service is a critical part of the transportation infrastructure of Egypt but of limited service for transit.

The vast majority of engines are diesel-driven. Sixty-three km are electrified, namely commuter lines between Cairo-Helwan and Cairo-Heliopolis.^[2] While ENR purchases engines and rail abroad, passenger wagons are built and refurbished in Egypt by the Société Générale Egyptienne de Matériel de Chemins de Fer (SEMAF).^[3]

Cargo volume transported by ENR is about 12 million ton annually.^[3]

Passenger trains

ER is the backbone of passenger transportation in Egypt with 800 million passenger miles annually.^[3] Air-conditioned passenger trains usually have 1st and 2nd class service, while non-airconditioned trains will have 2nd and 3rd class. Most of the network connects the densely populated area of the Nile delta with Cairo and Alexandria as hubs. Train fares in commuter trains and 3rd class passenger trains are kept low as a social service.

Sleeper trains

The Alexandria-Cairo-Luxor-Aswan link is served daily in both directions by air-conditioned sleeper trains of Abela Egypt.^[4] This service is especially attractive to tourists who can spend the night on the train as it covers the stretch between Cairo and Luxor. A luxury express train also connects Cairo with Marsa Matruh towards the Lybian border.

Bus & ferry services

ENR serves a number of places by bus services including Abu Simbel (bus/ferry), Sharm el Sheik, Siwa oasis, and Hurghada.

Railway museum

The Egyptian Railway Museum was founded in 1933 and chronicles the history and development of the ENR. It is located near the Ramses Station in Cairo.^[5]

Accidents

• February 20, 2002 Al Ayatt train disaster: A train packed to double capacity catches fire, 373 die.
• August 21, 2006 Qalyoub rail crash: Two trains collide in the town of Qalyoub, 12 miles north of Cairo, killing 57 people and injuring 128.
• September 4, 2006: A passenger train collides with a freight train north of Cairo, killing five and injuring 30.^[6]

These recent accidents have been preceded by a long line of other fatal accidents for more than a decade:^[7]

• 1992 head on collision at Al-Badrashin: 43 deaths
• 1993 collison: 40 deaths
• 1994 collision: more than 40 deaths
• 1995 3 major accidents: collision with bus: 11 fatalities; Qiwisna accident: 49 deaths; Beni Sweif accident: 75 deaths
• 1997 2 major accidents, one with 14, the other 7 fatalities
• 1998 accident at Kafr Al-Dawar: "dozens" dead
• 1999 accident: 10 deaths
• 2000 accident: 9 deaths

Problems

The debacle of the 2002 Al Ayyat train disaster showed significant deficiencies in the status and maintenance of the equipment. In the aftermath the ERA initiated a program to update equipment and improve safety.^[3] While some services have been privatized (i.e food service, sleeper trains), ENR is considering further steps in privatization to increase effiency and improve service. In addition ENR has dormant real estate holding that it plans to utilize in a more profitable way.

The 2006 Qalyoub rail crash led to further criticism of the management of the ENR raising issues of underfunding and corruption.^[8] The head of the ERA, Hanafy Abdel-Qawi, was dismissed one day after the accident.^[9]. In response to the accidents an investment programme was launched in 2007 with the aim of modernising the rail network and improving safety standards.^[10]

Major stations

Most major lines originate from Ramses Station, Cairo or Misr Station, Alexandria:

• Giza
  • Luxor
  • Edfu
  • Aswan
• Port Said
• Suez
• Damietta
• El Alamein
  • Marsa Matruh

References

See also

• Transport in Egypt

External links

• Official website of the Egyptian Railways
• Map of System (Lower Egypt)
• Unofficial website with galleries
• Abela sleeper trains
• Mike’s Railway History: Egypt 1935