Egypt plans to complete the first stage of a high-speed passenger rail project extending between Alexandria and Giza by the end of 2017, Transport Minister said on Thursday. The Egyptian minister Ibrahim El-Demeiri further stated that the first stage would eventually cost a total 20 billion Egyptian pounds ($2.8 billion) and is due to be completed in three years' time. This comes within the framework of the Egyptian government's plan to carry out a high-speed passenger rail project to connect five provinces, from Egypt's north coast to the country's far south, he noted. Speaking to Amwal Al Ghad, the minister referred that the anticipated first stage of the new railway would transport around 50 million passengers annually. On the technical specifications of the first stage, Demeiri pointed out that the 200 km long line would cover the journey in 35 minutes. Egypt has been mooting a high-speed rail project to link Alexandria with Cairo since at least 2009. The train between Egypt's two biggest cities currently takes about two hours.
