Egypt's train services are about to receive a major boost with two new initiatives in progress.

​Above: old train, new train, Alexandria, the River Nile at Aswan.

Egypt is a transcontinental country with the bulk of its land mass in Africa and the Sinai Peninsula in Asia. It is an adventurous traveller's dream and there's far more to it than the pyramids of Giza and Nile river cruises. That's where the trains come in.

Some travellers whose journey takes them across continents – Europe, Asia, Africa – believe that the train is the only way to go. But finding the right balance between history and romance on the one hand and comfort, efficiency and safety on the other can be a tricky task in some regions.

Egypt was the site of the African continent's first railway in 1854 and although there have obviously been numerous upgrades since then, the network is starting to show its age. Accidents and delays are not uncommon. The new rolling stock and infrastructure, as well as a plan to modernise the signalling system, will go a long way towards improving the situation. 

Some 200 of the new train carriages have already been delivered and will join the existing Egyptian fleet servicing Cairo (above), Alexandria, Assiut and Luxor. The remainder of the 1,300 carriages ordered will be delivered at the rate of 35 per month over the next three years. They will include 500 air-conditioned third-class railway cars, the first time such a service combination has been offered. The deal also includes 180 second-class cars, 90 first-class cars and 30 air-conditioned buffet cars.

High-speed train 

The second initiative is Egypt's first ever high-speed train line connecting the Red Sea to the Mediterranean. The route will cover 1,000 kilometres with 15 stops along the way, including the New Administrative Capital outside of Cairo. This first section will span 460 kilometres, linking El Alamein on Egypt's Mediterranean coast and Ain Sokhna on the western shore of the Gulf of Suez. It is due for completion in 2023 and will cost $3 billion.

Of particular interest to tourists are plans for a second high-speed line linking the Red Sea's main port with Alexandria and the port of Matrouh Gargoub, a third line that would link Hurghada and Safaga with Qena and Luxor; and a fourth to link Six October City with Luxor and Aswan. The total cost is estimated at $23 billion.

Once completed, the high-speed rail link will make it possible to travel from Alexandria to Aswan in just three to four hours, a massive improvement on the current average journey time of around 12 hours.

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