Egypt to Restart Passenger Rail Companies in Sinai After 50 Years

For the primary time in over 5 many years, passenger trains are set to resum operations in Sinai, with Egypt launching the trial section of the Al-Fardan–Bir Al-Abd railway line on Monday. 

Minister of Trade and Transport Kamel El-Wazir inaugurated the trial operation by driving the prepare on the 100-kilometer route from Sheikh Zayed Station to Bir Al-Abd Station in North Sinai. The occasion was attended by native officers, together with the governors of North Sinai and Ismailia, in addition to tribal sheikhs from the area.

The Fardan-Bir Al-Abd line, which has been below renovation, noticed the renewal of twenty-two kilometers of monitor and the rehabilitation of 64 kilometers. Moreover, 14 kilometers of previous rails had been restored. The transport ministry has additionally revamped Bir Al-Abd Station and restored companies at different stations, together with Qantara East, Galbana, Rummana, and Balouza.

Boosting Connectivity and Growth in Sinai

Minister El-Wazir highlighted that the relaunch of passenger rail companies would improve the motion of individuals and items between Sinai and different Egyptian governorates, supporting financial development and improvement within the area.

The reopening of the railway line is a part of a broader venture to rehabilitate, develop, and assemble a 500-kilometer community connecting Fardan, East Port Mentioned, Bir Al-Abd, Arish, and Taba. This community is integral to the brand new Arish-Taba built-in logistics hall, aimed toward bettering connectivity between the Arish seaport and the Taba land crossing. It additionally serves as an important hyperlink for transporting items between factories and ports, bolstering each home and export actions.

Strategic Imaginative and prescient for Sinai’s Growth

Resuming railway companies in Sinai is central to Egypt’s long-term plan for regional improvement. By linking key industrial and mining areas with main seaports, the venture goals to strengthen the area’s function in Egypt’s financial framework. The federal government’s funding on this infrastructure additionally aligns with its Imaginative and prescient 2030, which prioritizes sustainable improvement and strategic use of pure sources.

The transport ministry emphasised that the upgraded rail line wouldn’t solely serve residents and companies in North Sinai but additionally appeal to funding and promote tourism within the area’s historic and pure websites. The brand new connectivity goals to foster financial exercise, enhance entry to distant areas, and help ongoing initiatives within the Sinai Peninsula.

The relaunch of the Fardan-Bir Al-Abd railway line is accompanied by a broader authorities push to develop Sinai and the Suez Canal cities. Over the previous decade, Egypt has directed EGP 530.5 billion in investments to the area, based on the Ministry of Planning, Financial Growth, and Worldwide Cooperation. These investments, spanning from FY2014/2015 to FY2024/2025, give attention to infrastructure, trade, and group improvement, reflecting Sinai’s strategic significance to Egypt’s nationwide improvement.

Minister Rania Al-Mashat, head of the Ministry of Planning, emphasised that the Sinai Peninsula is a “key strategic axis for improvement in Egypt,” highlighting the area’s human and pure sources. She famous that EGP 58.8 billion had been allotted to initiatives in Sinai and the Suez Canal cities within the present fiscal yr alone.