Egypt has signed a
cooperation protocol with Spanish high-speed train manufacturer Talgo to
manufacture railway passenger carriages domestically.
The factory will be
established over an area of 20 feddans, according to a statement by the Ministry of Transport following the
event.
It will initially
manufacture 50 trains in the first stage and 50 trains in the second stage, and
all manufacturing stages will be carried out by Egyptian engineers and
technicians, under the supervision of Spanish experts, the ministry asserted.
The factory will
also serve as a complex for the maintenance of Talgo trains.
Talgo Egypt will
rely on local suppliers for up to 45 percent of local components, which will
gradually increase through Egyptian companies.
The agreement with
Talgo is part of a broader plan by the Egyptian government to replace all old
railcars with either upgraded or new ones.
This is in line with
the directives of President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi to localize heavy industries
in Egypt and maximize private sector participation in transportation projects,
Minister of Transport Kamel El-Wazir said during the signing ceremony.
The protocol was
signed by Mohamed Amer, Chairman of board of directors of the Egyptian National
Railways Authority (ENRA), and Mohammad Khadra, Regional Director of Talgo.
"This makes
Egypt the first country to manufacture mobile units in the Middle East and Africa,
and represents the first step in realizing the dream of turning Egypt into one
of the major industrial countries in this field," the statement added.
The ministry stated
that taking such steps will assist in fulfilling the needs of the local market,
conserve foreign currency, generate job opportunities, and increase the
national income through exports, particularly to Africa.
At present, four
Talgo passenger trains, which were imported, are in operation on the
Cairo-Alexandria and Cairo-Luxor lines.
These trains are
part of a 157-million-euro contract signed with the Spanish company in 2019,
which included the provision of seven new trains, one of which was a gift.
The Talgo train
carriages are air-conditioned and equipped with security surveillance cameras.
Source: Al-Ahram Online