Service on Alexandria’s Raml Tram will be suspended from the first week of February to begin a major upgrade expected to take two years, a Transport Ministry source told Al Manassa.
The source, who asked not to be named, said Alexandria authorities had postponed the suspension of service several times in recent months, but have now set the first week of February as a final date to meet a contractual deadline for project completion by the end of 2027.
The National Authority for Tunnels (NAT), which reports to the Transport Ministry and is supervising the work, has completed financial and legal arrangements with a consortium of the Arab Contractors and Hassan Allam tasked with implementing the project, the source said.
Works include a full rehabilitation of the track, replacing the tramcars, separating the tram from road intersections, and increasing speed and passenger capacity.
The NAT has also completed procedures to secure a 9 billion Egyptian pound loan ($180 million) from local banks to fund construction works, including the track and stations, with disbursements expected to begin before mid-2026, the source said.
The total cost of the 13.2-kilometer project is estimated at about 363 million euros, including 238 million euros in foreign financing from international institutions such as the French Development Agency and the European Investment Bank to cover technical equipment, signaling systems, and rolling stock.
South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem will manufacture and supply 30 trams, each 65 meters long, at a cost exceeding 100 million euros to operate on the line after the upgrade is completed, the source said.
The ministry has contracted Japan’s Hitachi Rail to supply signaling and communications systems, a control center, and other technical equipment in coordination with the Egyptian consortium, the source added.
Alexandria is finalizing a plan to provide alternative transport for residents, including mass-transit buses and coaches serving the same residential areas covered by the current tram route, to keep movement running smoothly during the shutdown, the source said.
The Transport Ministry aims to cut journey time from 60 minutes to 30 minutes and reduce headway from 10 minutes to three minutes. The new trams are expected to carry about 140,000 passengers per day.
Under the project plan, work will be carried out in three phases to maintain traffic flow: from Victoria station to San Stefano, from San Stefano to Mostafa Kamel, and from Mostafa Kamel to Raml station.
