Egypt signs $235m railway deals with US firm PRL

The Egyptian National Railways (ENR) signed on Thursday three contracts worth over $235 million with US-based Progress Rail Locomotives (PRL), aimed at modernising and supporting the country’s railway fleet, the Egyptian Cabinet reported.

The agreements include the overhaul of 100 Henschel locomotives, the supply of spare parts for 141 locomotives over 15 years, and the provision of technical support for a 10-year period.

The contracts form part of Egypt’s broader strategy to upgrade its railway traction system, improve service quality, and meet increasing transport demands.

Under the refurbishment deal, each locomotive will receive major upgrades, including a new engine, advanced EM2000 control system, high-voltage electric cab, air compressor, low-voltage system, braking system, and cooling unit. The remaining main components will be refurbished using new spare parts.

The modernisation is expected to significantly reduce oil consumption by around 50 per cent and cut fuel usage by more than 3 per cent, while also lowering carbon emissions and improving fleet availability and reliability.

As part of Egypt’s push to localise railway industry capabilities, component refurbishment will be carried out by the state-owned Egyptian Railways Maintenance and Services (ERMAS), using local parts and under PRL’s technical supervision.

Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English

Subediting: M. S. Salama