Egyptian National Railways (ENR), an affiliate of the Ministry of Transport, plans to tender the management and operation of three main lines to the private sector this year, targeting annual returns of 500 million Egyptian pounds (about $9.5 million), a board member told Al Manassa.
The three projects include the 252-kilometer Cairo-Alexandria trade logistics line, the 69-kilometer Belbeis-10th of Ramadan-Rubiki line, and the 37.9-kilometer Kafr Dawood-Sadat line, according to the source who spoke on condition of anonymity.
ENR inaugurated the Sadat line in October 2024 for both passenger and freight transport. The line includes three passenger stations and a freight station in Sadat City. The authority is currently working on the Cairo logistics and 10th of Ramadan lines, preparing to involve the private sector in their management as soon as implementation is completed, which is expected by 2028 at the latest.
Regarding the Rubiki line, the ENR plans to begin the second, superstructure, phase of construction this July. The project’s 160-million-euro cost is fully funded through external and local loans in preparation for its offering to investors, the same source told Al Manassa last month.
The source noted on Monday that the authority is betting on the private sector to improve the railways’ investment returns and contribute to recovering construction costs.
The Cairo logistics line project is being implemented via a $400 million loan from the World Bank to purchase imported equipment, alongside an equivalent amount in Egyptian pounds to cover work carried out by Egyptian companies.
Egypt’s rail network spans over 9,570 kilometers across 23 governorates, serving nearly 420 million passengers annually. The authority currently operates around 3,040 passenger carriages, including 850 air-conditioned cars, alongside 8,553 freight wagons and 793 locomotives.
Data from the rail authority shows it owns approximately 191 million square meters of land valid for investment, as it continues to expand partnerships with the private sector.
