Egyptian Transport Minister Kamel El Wazir and a parliamentary delegation on Monday inspected “Misr” Railway Station in Bashteel district of Giza, which is set to become Egypt’s largest station ever built, to check on its readiness for inauguration soon.
Wazir was accompanied by a parliamentary delegation chaired by Alaa Abed, chief of the transport committee at the House of Representatives.
On choosing the location of the station, it has been taken into account that it is located in a middle area between Ramses and Giza railway stations, and that it is located in Giza governorate, which is the gateway to Upper Egypt, as well as being the meeting point of the main railway lines in Egypt (High Dam / Alexandria – Imbaba / Al-Manashy / Al-Qabbary).
It is also located on 4 main Axes, thus, facilitating the movement to and from (Lieutenant-General Kamal Amer Axis / Sudan Street / Ahmed Orabi Axis and Airport Street – 26th of July Axes). Its location is strategic, linking the station with various means of transportation (railways – the third line of the metro – monorail – BRT on Ring Road) to serve the passengers.
The main station building is built on an area of 31,000 square meters, consisting of a basement, a garage, a ground floor, and 2 repeated floors. The building includes four platforms to serve the passengers of Upper Egypt with 6 lines, including two lines for Aswan / Alexandria, two shunting lines, and two lines for trains ending their journey at the station coming from Upper Egypt.
There is a basement in the main building, which will be used as a garage with a capacity of 250 vehicles, in addition to a planned garage under the residential, commercial and administrative area, with a capacity of 500 vehicles. Moreover, another multi-storey garage is planned in the airport area to serve passengers. It, with a capacity of 1,000 vehicles, will also be used as a parking station for buses.
Located in Bashteel, Giza, the new station is expected to be three times bigger than Ramses Station, with 12 platforms, as well as 66,500 square metres of administrative offices and 24,000 square metres of shops. Sitting in between Ramses and Giza, it is hoped to alleviate some of the traffic in Ramses Station, and serve as a meeting point for Cairo’s railway lines. It will also be linked with the Cairo Metro’s third line, the monorail and the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system.
The station’s design is inspired by ancient Egyptian aesthetics; passengers will be greeted with a beautiful display of Egyptian heritage, including a large 40 metre high glass pyramid and four obelisks. Along with its platforms, the station will also hold a parking garage, a shopping mall, a four-star hotel and 28 additional towers for commercial, administrative and residential use.
