Cairo: Minister of Transport Kamel El-Wazir conducted an extensive inspection tour of several main maintenance workshops of the Egyptian National Railways to oversee daily maintenance and preparation of the rolling stock fleet, including locomotives and passenger coaches. The visit is part of implementing President Abdel Fattah El Sisi's directives to continuously develop the railway system and provide the highest standards of service to passengers.
According to State Information Service Egypt, the tour began at Abu Ghattas workshops, with Deputy Minister for Electric Locomotion and Railways Wagdy Radwan, and Chairman of the Egyptian National Railways Mohamed Amer, in attendance. The workshops specialize in daily and periodic maintenance, as well as light overhauls for Russian third-class air-conditioned and dynamic-ventilation coaches. Wazir inspected specialized facilities, including lifting, repair, welding, and the Russian coach workshop.
The minister reviewed the preparation of Russian third-class air-conditioned and dynamic-ventilation trains, with workshops readying 44 Russian trains and three mixed trains, comprising nine Spanish second-class air-conditioned coaches and 15 Tahya Misr coaches, daily. He also visited the diesel workshop, which maintains and prepares up to 2,800 locomotives monthly.
The inspection continued at the main workshops in Al-Farz, focusing on locomotive maintenance, including daily preparation of 30 locomotives and periodic maintenance of 250 locomotives monthly. Wazir also toured Talgo train workshops for the Upper and Lower Egypt lines, the VIP train workshop, and workshops for Spanish and Russian air-conditioned coaches, servicing 720 trains monthly.
He further visited power coach overhaul workshops operated by Interplas, preparing 116 coaches daily, and Talgo train workshops, including the expansion project for seven newly contracted sleeper trains with Spanish Talgo, aimed at enhancing passenger service and supporting Egypt's tourism sector. Wazir stressed that technical safety constitutes the first line of defense for millions of passengers, calling for strict adherence to maintenance protocols and preventive inspections to avoid faults.
He also reviewed kitchen and laundry facilities managed by Abela for sleeper trains, noting the importance of service quality, hygiene, and private-sector collaboration. At the conclusion of the tour, the minister held a comprehensive meeting with railway staff, stressing that employees are central to the system's success.
He outlined the ministry's development plan, covering seven key axes: rolling stock, infrastructure, communication and control systems, technical safety and workshops, human resources, organizational structure, and financial management. Wazir highlighted ongoing staff training, recruitment standards, and work environment improvements, including social services and healthcare, alongside a strict rewards and penalties system.
He confirmed that all 33 existing workshops have been upgraded, eight of 11 new workshops are complete, and the remaining three are near completion. The minister concluded by stressing 24/7 operations to optimize assets, including railway scrap, ensure punctuality and cleanliness of trains and stations, and deliver high-quality services that reflect the substantial development underway in Egypt's railway network.