Siemens Mobility to create 2,000km high-speed electrified rail network in Egypt

Siemens Mobility has finalised the contract to build a 2,000km electrified high-speed rail network, which will connect 60 cities throughout Egypt.

Siemens Mobility and its consortium partners Orascom Construction and The Arab Contractors signed the contract with the Egyptian National Authority for Tunnels (NAT) for the network, which is touted to become the sixth-largest high-speed rail system in the world.

The 2,000km high-speed rail network will connect 60 cities throughout the country, with trains that can operate at up to 230km/h. According to Siemens, this means that approximately 90% of Egyptians will have access to a modern, safe and integrated rail system.

Together with civil works partners Orascom Construction and The Arab Contractors, Siemens Mobility will provide its comprehensive turnkey services to design, install, commission and maintain the entire system for 15 years.

Fully electrified

With a modal shift to train transport, the fully electrified network will cut carbon emissions by 70% compared to current car or bus transport.

“The new electrified train network comes as a consolidation of the fruitful cooperation between Egypt and Germany in the field of infrastructure and will represent a valuable great addition to Egypt’s transportation system, marking the beginning of a new era for the railways system in Egypt, Africa, and the Middle East,“ stated His Excellency, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.

Have you read:
Iberdrola eyes green hydrogen for Europe’s railways
First battery powered trains for Denmark

The Egyptian high-speed network will consist of three lines:

• The already announced “Suez Canal on rails,” a 660-kilometer line connecting the port cities of Ain Sokhna on the Red Sea to Marsa Matrouh and Alexandria on the Mediterranean. And the two rail lines signed today.

• A 1,100km line running between Cairo and Abu Simbel near the Sudan border, linking the city to rising economic centres in the south. According to Siemens Mobility, it will allow for the development of communities up and down the Nile, which will subsequently provide additional opportunities for small and family-owned businesses to flourish.

• A 225km line connecting the world heritage archaeological sites in Luxor with Hurghada by the Red Sea. In addition, this rail link is expected to improve the efficiency and sustainability of freight transport for goods and materials between Safaga harbor and inland locations.

To support the installation of the rail network, the consortium will directly create up to 40,000 jobs in Egypt, with an additional 6,700 at Egyptian suppliers and indirectly through the wider Egyptian economy.

Equipping the network

To equip the entire rail network, Siemens Mobility will deliver trains based on its product platforms.
This includes 41 Velaro eight car high-speed trains, 94 Desiro high-capacity four car regional train sets and 41 Vectron freight locomotives.

On all three lines, Siemens Mobility will install a safe signalling system based on the European train control system (ETCS) level 2 technology, as well as the power supply system that will deliver continuous energy.

Siemens Mobility will also provide its latest digital products and platforms that will aim to optimise operations throughout the network for the trains, rail infrastructure and subsystems.

Dr Roland Busch, president and CEO of Siemens AG, commented: “The opportunity to provide Egypt with a modern, safe and affordable transportation system that will transform the everyday for millions of Egyptians, create thousands of local jobs and reduces CO2 emissions in transport, is an honour for us.

“Not only will it promote economic growth, it will also enable Egypt to take a leap forward in rail transportation. With our latest technology in rolling stock, signalling, and maintenance services, Egypt will have the sixth largest and most modern high-speed rail network in the world.”

Have you read:
Ikigai joins Coca-Cola consortium to decarbonise transport
Electricity networks’ publication to support decarbonisation of Scottish transport

Michael Peter, Siemens Mobility CEO, added: “This landmark transportation project is truly historic for both Egypt and Siemens and we are honoured to partner with the Ministry of Transport to reimagine the future of transportation in Egypt. The extensive 2,000 km high-speed rail network will connect 60 cities and enable around 500 million journeys a year.

“It will link the country like never before, fight pollution and global warming, while also providing an effective and reliable method for the movement of good.

“Together with our partners, we will develop from scratch a complete and state of the art rail network that will offer a blueprint for the region on how to install an integrated, sustainable, and modern transportation system.”

The contract

The Siemens Mobility share of the combined contract is €8.1 billion ($8.6 billion) and includes the initial contract of €2.7 billion ($2.9 billion) for the first line, signed September 1, 2021.

The contract was signed by His Excellency, lieutenant general Kamel Al Wazir, minister of transport Egypt, Dr Busch, Osama Bishai, CEO Orascom Construction and Sayed Farouk, president and CEO Arab Contractors.

The signing was witnessed by El-Sisi, Egyptian President, Dr Essam Wally, Chairman of Egypt’s National Authority for Tunnels, His Excellency, Frank Hartmann, German Ambassador, as well as Michael Peter, Siemens Mobility CEO.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz sent a video message, underlining Germany’s support for the project and its importance for German-Egyptian bilateral relations and global climate protection.