CAIRO – The Egyptian Transport Ministry announced on Thursday the start of the experimental operation of Spanish air-conditioned trains without passengers along Cairo-Alexandria line.
The authority will start the trial of the Talgo vehicle on Cairo-Aswan rail line without any passengers, the ministry said.
The move comes as part of the political leadership’s directives to upgrade railway mechanism, including carriages and human cadres, to ensure better services to citizens.
The new train consists of five air-conditioned first-class railcars, eight air-conditioned second-class railcars, caboose, engine, and power car.
It is the first to be received by Egypt as part of a contract with the Spanish Talgo company to supply Egypt with seven trains.
The new trains – part of a €125.6 million deal, will be made of aluminum, which reduces their weight and helps to save the train’s consumption of fuel in the journey.
It is also resistant to rust and therefore does not corrode from the water used in the cleanliness and maintenance of trains, which extends the life span of such trains.
For people with special needs, each seat of the first air-conditioned carriages is equipped with a display screen to display film materials, in addition to the presence of central screens in the second-class air-conditioned carriages, and there will be surveillance cameras in those trains to secure the passengers.
