Egypt will starts trials of high-speed trains in 2024, the country’s Transport Minister was quoted on Monday as saying. 

Kamil Al-Wazir said Germany’s Siemens Mobility would begin work on the high-speed railway project’s Phases 2 and 3 in August, adding that Phase 1 was finished in May 2021. 

“Siemens will begin preparing the rail lines and all related systems for the project shortly…we expect the train to be ready for trial in mid or end of 2024,” Wazir said, quoted by Al-Watan and other local newspapers. 

The 2,000-km long high-speed rail network for freight and passengers will connect 60 cities across the country with trains that can operate at up to 230 km/h, according to media reports.

(Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)