Transport Minister Kamel El-Wazir on Sunday, September 6, 2026, inspected final finishing and preparations at stations along the 660-km first line of Egypt’s high-speed electric rail network, running from Ain Sokhna through Alamein to Matrouh. The minister's inspection tour covered the section from Hadayek October Station to Ahmed Omar Hashem Station, passing through Giza and Cairo stations.
It comes in line with directives from President Abdel Fattah El Sisi to the government, represented by the Transport Ministry, to complete mass-transit projects within their scheduled timeframes. El-Wazir began his tour by inspecting Hadayek October station, where passengers will be able to transfer between the first and second lines.
The station has platforms for both lines at the same level, as well as five pedestrian bridges. He also inspected Giza interchange station for high-speed and diesel trains, one of the key stations on the first line. The station features an advanced and unique engineering design being implemented in Egypt for the first time, with high-speed trains running above existing diesel railway lines and all platforms elevated, while services are located underneath.
The design will allow direct interchange between high-speed and diesel trains and enable passengers to transfer between the two modes without leaving the station. The station will serve southern Giza and the city of Badrashin. The minister also inspected Cairo station in the Helwan area, which will serve Helwan, 15 May City and areas of southern Cairo east of the Nile, as well as Ahmed Orabi station, which will serve Katameya, New Cairo and newly developed urban areas south of the Ain Sokhna Road.
He also reviewed final finishing works and preparations at the main depot for the first line, built on an area of 578 feddans. The depot will operate all three lines of the network, carry out major and light overhauls, and store all types of trains, with a capacity of 50 trains and locomotives.
During the tour, El-Wazir reviewed sections of the route handed over to the Siemens-Orascom-Arab Contractors consortium for ballast laying, rail installation, catenary poles and overhead electrical systems, as well as electromechanical works and various systems.
The works are being carried out in preparation for the start of trial operations without passengers on one section of the first line in the coming period. Unmanned trial operations will subsequently be conducted on other sections according to the project timetable.
The minister also inspected civil works, including the water-line crossing bridge, known as the Masar Bridge, which has been completed, and the 700-metre SUMED Bridge, where work is nearing completion. He also inspected the Nile Bridge complex, comprising the East Nile Bridge, which has been completed, the Nile Bridge, also completed, and the West Nile Bridge, which is nearing completion.