CAIRO - Since its nationalisation in 1956, some world powers have been looking for alternative navigation lines, so their ships don't have to cross the Suez Canal. First, there was the call for resorting to the old Cape of Good Hope line, with Russia contemplating extending a canal in the far north to help. Israel got involved too, suggesting digging a canal from the Dead Sea to the Mediterranean. This proved infeasible, so it's now considering extending the railway line between Port Eilat on the Red Sea and the ports of Ashdod and Haifa on the Mediterranean Sea. Could this project, recently revealed by Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu, really pose a threat to navigation of the Suez Canal? The answer is definitely no, because transporting goods by railway is three to four times more expensive than doing so by maritime routes. Besides, there wouldn't be enough trains to handle the volume of goods that cross the Suez Canal every day. A single train can only carry up to 75 containers; a ship can transport up to 10,000 containers. It would take Israel more than 100 trains per day to transport the same amount of goods as just one ship. Even if it is built, such a railway won't have a negative effect on Suez revenues. But this doesn't mean we should rest on our laurels, as other projects might come along to weaken the strategic position of the Canal. The Suez Canal ought to be developed. One suggestion is to turn the eastern bank of the Canal into a service and industrial zone for passing ships, along with creating a shipyard for building and maintaining ships, as well as many other intermediate industries, in order to maximise the revenues of the Canal. Whether the efforts to undermine the Suez Canal succeed or not, Egypt should consider upgrading its old navigation line for the benefit of the country's economy.
