In a significant step toward upgrading Egypt's railway infrastructure, trial operations have officially begun at the Cheng He – Egypt Institute for Smart Railway Signal Control. This milestone aligns with the directives of Kamel Al-Wazir, Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport, who has tasked Mohamed Amer, Chairperson of the Egyptian National Railways, with implementing comprehensive reforms to enhance education, training, and technological know-how in the sector. The Cheng He Institute is the product of a strategic partnership between Egypt's Higher Institute of Transport Technology, China's AVIC International Project Engineering Company, and the Nanjing Institute of Railway Science. It is envisioned as a regional centre of excellence for advanced training in smart railway signaling, supporting Egypt's broader vision to modernise its rail network and build local technical capacity. The trial launch was attended by senior representatives from the National Railways Authority, the Higher Institute of Transport Technology, Wardan Railway Institute, the Chinese Embassy in Cairo, the Jiangsu Provincial Education Department, AVIC International, the Nanjing Railway Technology Institute, CASCO Signal Ltd., and the Central Administration for Talent Development at Egyptian National Railways. The initiative complements the Ministry of Transport's wider efforts to overhaul technical education and foster knowledge exchange with international partners, particularly China, which is also deeply involved in developing Egypt's electric traction systems. A key goal is to prepare highly skilled graduates capable of keeping pace with the fast-evolving transport technologies being deployed across the country. Since 2020, the Higher Institute of Transport Technology has held a series of meetings in Egypt and China with its Chinese counterparts—including AVIC International, which is overseeing Egypt's light rail transit (LRT) project, as well as the Nanjing and Guangzhou Institutes of Railway Science—to design a joint academic programme tailored to the needs of Egypt's modern rail network. Under the programme, students complete three academic semesters in Egypt, followed by three semesters at the Nanjing Institute in China, before returning to Egypt to complete a final year of study. Graduates receive a Bachelor's degree in Technology from Egypt and a Technological Diploma accredited by the Chinese government. Alongside academic cooperation, the Cheng He Institute is upgrading its training laboratories and simulation systems and developing a new generation of Egyptian academic and technical staff to lead the transformation of railway education and support future transport infrastructure projects. This cross-border collaboration marks another milestone in Egypt's ongoing efforts to create a modern, smart, and sustainable transport system supported by world-class technical education.
