Egypt's Deputy Prime Minister Kamel El-Wazir on Thursday witnessed the signing of a contract to begin infrastructure work on the rehabilitation of Alexandria's Raml Tram, as part of efforts to expand sustainable public transport in the coastal city. The deal was signed between the National Authority for Tunnels (NAT) and a consortium of Arab Contractors and Hassan Allam Construction, two of Egypt's leading firms. The project is part of a broader government push to develop eco-friendly mass transit systems in Alexandria, Egypt's second most populous governorate. The project is "in line with President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi's directives to expand sustainable, eco-friendly mass transit networks to ease mobility and provide better services for citizens, particularly in Alexandria, the country's second most populous governorate," the Transport Ministry said in a statement. The upgraded Raml Tram line will span 13.2 km and include 24 stations, with segments running at-grade, elevated, and underground. It will connect key neighbourhoods including Victoria, San Stefano, Roushdy, Sidi Gaber, and El Raml, and integrate with the planned Alexandria Metro at Victoria and Sidi Gaber stations. Once complete, the tram will cut journey times from 60 to 35 minutes and increase peak capacity to 13,800 passengers per hour per direction, up from 4,700, by boosting operational speeds and reducing waiting times, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport El-Wazir said. The project also includes the supply of 30 new tram units being manufactured by South Korea's Hyundai Rotem, with design work currently underway. The agreement comes just days after Egypt signed a separate contract to localise and supply 21 metro trains for Alexandria's planned metro line between Abu Qir and Misr Station, part of a national strategy to expand green, sustainable transport across the country. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English
