In its bid to transform the country’s mobility and transport sector, Egypt has announced that it will enter into an agreement that encompasses a supply, execution, and maintenance contract with German manufacturer Siemens for the second and third lines of the high-speed electric railway project.  Kamel El-Wazir, Minister of Transport, said the agreement is set to be inked this month.

The new railway will comprise three main lines and encompass over 2,000 kilometers with 60 stations, marking the country’s collective push toward sustainable and greener transportation. The minister said in a press statement that the second line would extend over 1100 kilometers across the regions of Fayoum, Aswan, and Abu Simbel, covering 35 stations.

The other initiatives include establishing a logistics zone and a dry port in the Toshka area to receive freight trains. One of the most significant projects in Egypt, the Western Upper Egypt Desert Road, which has been ratified at the cost of EGP 26 billion, with the inauguration of its 230-kilometer first phase.

The ministry is also studying building logistics zones in Qustul, Arqeen, and Wadi Karkar to support the trade movement, the minister said in a statement.

Last week, El-Wazir met with Qatari counterpart Jassim Bin Saif al-Sulaiti to discuss further avenues of cooperation in the green transportation sector.