Thales Spain wins a railway tender in Egypt for 300 million euros

2023-09-05 15:58:08

Thales Spain has signed a contract with the Egyptian National Railways (ENR) for the modernization of railway signaling and telecommunications on the line that connects the cities of Cairo, Giza and Beni Suef and that runs along the eastern bank of the Nile River, 115 kilometers from the capital of the country, as reported by the company.

This contract, in consortium with the Egyptian company Orascom Construction, “is an important milestone for the Spanish team that continues to consolidate its presence in Egypt, contributing notably to the modernization of the railway network, the backbone of the country”, according to Thales España. .

The contract has a budget of more than 300 million euros and an expected completion period of 60 months. In addition, a two-year warranty and another five of line maintenance services will be granted. The Thales-Orascom Construction consortium will be in charge of modernizing the signaling and telecommunications systems, as well as renewing the track within this section. The scope of works includes design, supply, construction, testing and commissioning. In addition, it includes the supply of spare parts, training, documentation, warranty with maintenance services, roads and civil works. Thales will also be in charge of cybersecurity for the line.

Experience in Egypt

Thales Spain has been working with Egyptian railways since 2013 and has successfully delivered the Cairo-Alexandria line to ENR. In addition, it is also working on the renewal of the line between Asyut to Nagh Hammadi, in Upper Egypt.

The contract that Thales España has been awarded forms part of the Egyptian Railways Safety and Improvement Project (RISE), which aims to improve the safety of passengers and employees of the Egyptian national railway company through the introduction of safety systems railway and traffic control.

Inaugurated in 1854 with a section between Alexandria and the governorate of Kafr el Sheikh, the Egyptian railway network is one of the oldest in the world, second only to the British. In the almost 170 years that have elapsed since then, with more than 8,000 kilometers of tracks, the railway has become the backbone of the country, transporting almost 314 million passengers a year.