AOI to deliver more new train carriages within coming months

The Arab Organization for Industrialization (AOI) will deliver to the Railway Authority the rest of the agreed upon air-conditioned carriages within the coming few months, Transport Minister Galal el Saeed said.

The two sides earlier signed an agreement whereby the organization manufactures 212 new train carriages. So far 160 carriages were delivered.

The minister, during a ceremony marking the delivery of two air-conditioned railway and underground Metro carriages, noted that more than one million passenger travel by trains daily.

He underlined the importance of the railway role in transporting citizens across governorates, especially residents of Upper Egypt.

As for the Metro carriages, Saeed said the organization signed an agreement with Hyundai Rotem to manufacture 20 Metro trains. 

Eleven of these trains were manufactured abroad, while the rest were assembled in Egypt.

He said the last of these trains was delivered today.

Soon, contracts will be signed to manufacture 64 trains for Cairo Metro Line 3.

Trade and Industry Minister Tarek Qabil, who attended the ceremony, lauded the role of the Arab Organization for Industrialization in boosting the national industry and Egyptian products.

Given the current economic challenges facing Egypt, the government seeks to rationalize imports and increase investments and this will not happen "unless we back home-made products".

The Hyundai Rotem executive said the company exerted tireless efforts to finalize the project that began four years ago, hoping the company would contribute to boosting the railway industry in cooperation with local partners.

The 20 Metro trains will be used on the Helwan-Marg line of the Cairo Metro, which has the highest ride density among subway lines in the world, transporting about 2 million passengers a day, according to the Egyptian government.