Egyptian-Chinese consortium wins Ain Sokhna-Alamein high-speed train contract

An Egyptian-Chinese consortium has won a tender for the design, finance and operation of a high-speed train linking Ain Sokhna and the New Alamein City.

The consortium includes Samcrete, Arab Organization for Industrialization, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, and China Railway Construction Corporation.

The 534-km line will accommodate both cargo and passenger trains and will pass through the new capital, Sixth of October City and Alexandria, making the line the longest in the Middle East.

The $9 bn project would be Egypt’s first high-speed train linking the Red Sea to the Mediterranean, with journeys taking just three hours.

The Transport Ministry had also considered extending the line by an additional 350 km connecting Ain Sokhna to Hurghada.

This is part of Egypt’s plans to develop its transportation sector and specifically its railway systems