Egypt, September 2026 – Egypt is pursuing a broad expansion of its rail system as part of a national strategy to increase passenger capacity and integrate intercity, urban and feeder transport. Transport Minister Kamel El-Wazir said the country expects railways and high-speed trains to accommodate approximately four million passengers daily by 2030.
Three high-speed railway lines covering about 2,000 kilometres are currently under construction. They include the Ain Sokhna–Marsa Matrouh line via Cairo and Alexandria, the 6th of October–Abu Simbel line serving Upper Egypt, and the Qena–Safaga–Hurghada corridor. A further 250-kilometre Port Said–Alexandria line is planned. Unmanned testing on part of the first line is expected to begin in early October, followed by phased testing of the wider route before passenger operations commence.
Once the first three high-speed lines enter service, they are expected to accommodate around 2.5 million passengers per day, while the conventional railway network is targeted to handle another 1.5 million. Modernisation of the existing network includes signalling upgrades and approximately 400 kilometres of new track connecting major industrial areas.
Egypt is also expanding urban rail infrastructure alongside its intercity network. The first phase of the fourth Cairo Metro line is scheduled for testing in mid-2027, with eventual capacity estimated at 1–1.25 million passengers daily. A 100.3-kilometre monorail network is also being developed to connect the New Administrative Capital with Greater Cairo and integrate with the third metro line.
The programme reflects Egypt's broader move toward an integrated multimodal transport system, combining conventional rail, high-speed rail, metro, monorail, buses and feeder services. The scale of investment positions rail as a central component of Egypt's long-term strategy to expand passenger capacity, improve network connectivity and support transport links between major population centres and economic zones.
Source: Qazinform
Egypt Targets 4 Million Daily Rail Passengers By 2030
Journalism & Media
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Rail investment in Egypt is increasingly focused on combining high-speed services with the modernisation of the conventional network and urban transit. The country is developing 2,250 kilometres of high-speed electrified rail while upgrading more than 10,000 kilometres of existing railway, with combined rail capacity targeted at about four million passengers per day by 2030.
