Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport, Kamel Al-Wazir, conducted an inspection tour of the Spanish company COLWAY's factory, which specializes in the design, engineering, manufacture, supply, installation, and commissioning of turnkey railway vehicle interiors. Located within the Kom Abou Rady workshops in Beni Suef, the factory was established to fulfil 70% of the Egyptian National Railways' (ENR) needs, along with those of the Ministry of Transport and other state sectors, using local currency before expanding into export markets. The project is being developed in two phases. The first phase, now completed and operational, involved setting up a 3,000-square-meter factory within the Kom Abou Rady workshops to manufacture interior components for rolling stock, including locomotives and trains, as well as public transportation vehicles requiring refurbishment and upgrades. The upcoming second phase will establish an additional 4,000-square-meter factory adjacent to the Kom Abou Rady workshops to expand production capacity for train interior components, supporting Egypt's emerging rolling stock manufacturing sector. During his tour, Al-Wazir inspected various manufacturing processes for sleeper car interiors, including sandblasting, sanding, painting, and curing. He emphasized the urgency of launching the second phase to accelerate train interior component production and further localize this industry in Egypt. The minister also inspected two fully refurbished and modernized cars—a sleeper car and a club car—serving as prototypes for the comprehensive refurbishment of 65 Spanish sleeper and club cars. The Egyptian National Railways contracted COLWAY's factory to rehabilitate, develop, and modernize these cars entirely. These two cars mark the first production from COLWAY's factory for Egyptian sleeper trains. A complete sleeper train, consisting of 10 cars (nine sleeper cars and one club car), is expected to be completed every three months and put into service, offering enhanced comfort and amenities for passengers, including citizens and tourists. The refurbished cars have been redesigned to align with the latest sleeper train models in the global market.
Al-Wazir also received a briefing from the factory director on the history of these cars, their development phases, and the financial advantages of refurbishment through COLWAY. Originally introduced as passenger coaches in the 1980s, these cars were converted into sleeper trains in 1993. They continued operating until a contract was signed with COLWAY on December 4, 2023, leading to the establishment of the factory and the launch of its first production of interior components for sleeper cars on 23 March 2025. The minister noted that while a newly imported sleeper car costs approximately €1.5m, refurbishing each of these cars to meet the latest global specifications costs around €329,000—just 22% of the price of a new car. Additionally, 70% of the refurbishment cost is covered in Egyptian pounds, further supporting local industry and reducing reliance on foreign currency.
