Egypt's Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport, Kamel Al-Wazir, recently conducted a comprehensive inspection tour of the second line of Egypt's high-speed electric rail network, which spans 1,100 km from October to Aswan, including a key section from Luxor to Sohag. The tour, attended by the governors of Luxor, Qena, Sohag, and Minya, focused on the 200-km stretch that connects major cities, industrial zones, airports, and residential areas across Upper Egypt. The visited stations, Luxor, Qous, Qena, Deshna, Nagaa Hammadi, Farshout, Abydos, and Sohag, are set to improve connectivity to critical industrial hubs, new urban communities, and agricultural zones, as well as key tourist destinations. Additional stations will also serve Jehina, Tahta, El-Ghanayem, Assiut, Minya, and Beni Suef/Fayoum. Al-Wazir emphasized that the high-speed rail project will not only improve transportation services but also support economic and industrial growth across the region. He reviewed the progress of the stations' construction, including the development of passenger flow plans, station layouts, and investment strategies for each stop. A focal point of the visit was the decision to establish a freight terminal at Qous Station, strategically located along the high-speed rail line. This terminal is set to serve the Qena industrial zone, boosting logistics and facilitating the movement of goods in the region. Al-Wazir stressed the importance of fast-tracking this terminal's development, with work proceeding around the clock and adhering to high-quality standards, as it plays a key role in enhancing Egypt's sustainable mass transit infrastructure. The minister also highlighted the thoughtful selection of station locations, ensuring they are easily accessible from major roads, residential areas, and intersections with the Nile axes. Each station will feature accessible approach roads and ample parking, facilitating easy connections for travelers and goods transport from surrounding cities and villages. During his tour, Al-Wazir also inspected ongoing earthworks and civil engineering efforts along the rail corridor, which are being handled by national Egyptian companies. Further reinforcing Egypt's commitment to strengthening its industrial base, Al-Wazir visited the New Qena City industrial complex, an area spanning 150,000 square meters. This complex is home to two state-of-the-art factories for manufacturing concrete railway sleepers, critical for the country's ongoing railway modernization projects. These factories, operated by the Holding Company for Roads, Bridges, and Land Transport, support both freight and passenger rail networks. Al-Wazir toured the B70 concrete sleeper factory, which produces up to 816 sleepers per day, and the RFI260 concrete sleeper factory, dedicated to high-speed rail projects. The latter factory, which began operations in October 2023, uses a modern Carousel production line with a daily output of 1,400 sleepers. The minister noted that these facilities are a key part of Egypt's broader strategy to localize industries and reduce dependency on imports, particularly in areas like concrete sleeper manufacturing. This aligns with Egypt's vision for a more self-sustaining, competitive economy and further strengthens the infrastructure supporting the high-speed rail network.
