Siemens Mobility announced that 14 out of 41 Vectron freight locomotives for Egypt are built and in the final stages of testing at its Validation Centre in Wegberg-Wildenrath, Germany.
The manufacturer expects that the new locomotives will be soon handed over to Egypt and they will be used to transport cargo along a 2,000 km rail corridor electrifying the connection from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean.
In May 2022, Siemens Mobility and its consortium partners Orascom Construction and The Arab Contractors signed with the Egyptian National Authority for Tunnels a turnkey contract for the creation of a high-speed rail system in the country as well as the delivery of the rolling stock.
Under the contract, Siemens Mobility manufactures and delivers 41 Velaro eight car high-speed trains, 94 Desiro high-capacity four car regional train sets and 41 Vectron freight locomotives.
The consortium will develop a 2,000 km high-speed rail system that will connect 60 cities throughout the country, with trains that can operate at up to 230 km/h. The rail system will enable around 500 million journeys a year, while saving passengers up to 50% on travel time.
The new high-speed network will consist of three lines. One of them is the so-called “Suez Canal on rails”, covering 600 km of line connecting the port cities of Ain Sokhna on the Red Sea to Marsa Matrouh and Alexandria on the Mediterranean. The USD 4.5 billion contract has been signed in 2021.
For the remaining two lines, the contract was signed in May 2022. A 1,000 km line will run between Cairo and Abu Simbel near the Sudan border, linking the mega city to rising economic centers in the south. This will enable the development of communities up and down the Nile. Another 225 km line connecting the archeological World Heritage sites in Luxor with Hurghada and Safaga harbor by the Red Sea and easing freight transport to Egypt’s inland. In addition, this rail link will significantly improve the efficiency and sustainability of freight transport for goods and materials between Safaga harbor and inland locations.
On all three lines, Siemens Mobility will install a safe and reliable signalling system based on the European Train Control System Level 2 technology, as well as the power supply system that will deliver efficient and continuous energy.
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