CAIRO - There is a fight between the Urban Harmony Agency (UHA) and the Railway Authority over the development of the main railway station and its satellite buildings in Ramses Square, Cairo. UHA accused its adversary of destroying historical and archaeological landmarks. The Railway Authority refused to suspend the development project and retaliated by claiming that the 'development and beautification project' was meant to preserve the buildings' beauty. Asking the UHA experts to stop blubbering and mind their own business instead, the railway officials said the project had been approved by the Cabinet in 2007 and the entire area would be revolutionised. The project is supposed to be completed as soon as possible and includes swanky malls and entertainment facilities. Egypt's railway network was constructed about 110 years ago, second only to the British railway system. Despite the Railway Authority's determination to proceed with its controversial development plan, urban experts led by chief Samir Gharib appealed for an immediate suspension. In collaboration with equally unhappy university professors, UHA officials accused the construction company of 'vandalising and destroying' the railway heritage in the area. The complaint is now on Minister of Transport Alaa Fahmi's desk. The development plan, which will cost no less than LE170 million, was suggested and approved by Fahmi's predecessor Mohamed Mansour. After paying an inspection visit to the site, professors of urban planning at Cairo University said they were appalled when they discovered that much damage had been done to the unique architectural designs, patterns and features, which decorated the Railway Station's gate. In their report, the professors reminded Minister Fahmi (who came from the Post Authority after Transport Minister Mohamed Mansour's dismissal in the wake of a train disaster), that the gate and its satellite buildings had been registered in the Architectural Heritage Directory in 2007. “Patterns and individual architectural designs and decorations have been destroyed or damaged for no apparent reason,” the professors complained. Refusing to listen to the experts, railway officials acted defiantly by ordering the construction company to quicken its work. Many railway commuters were no happier than the urban experts, complaining that the rubble had been piling up for two years. “We do not expect [this project] to get completed,” a man from Upper Egypt declared. When told about the huge project costs, the shocked commuter replied that [the Government] would have acted more wisely if it spent this enormous amount on the restoration of old trains and the purchase of better engines. The Prime Minister has yet to reveal his own opinion, a view that will undoubtedly disappoint both fighting parties.
