Egypt’s Ministry of Transport recently announced that the initial surveys for the first stage of the Egypt-Sudan railway line, which is expected to cover a distance of 285 kilometers from Aswan to Abu Simbel in southern of the North African Country, had been completed.
Initially proposed in 2010 and reactivated in 2018, the railway line set to pave the way for Egyptian products to be exported to Sudan, Central Africa, and the rest of Africa in general. A high-level transport coordination committee was formed between the two north African countries to monitor the railway’s construction activities.
During a recent meeting, the two countries discussed the latest progress in the construction of an interconnected station in Sudan, in which the Egyptian National Railways Authority developed a model demonstrating how passengers and commodities will be moved.
They also discussed a new contract for the maintenance and repair of four Sudanese railway locomotives. On the Sudanese side, the Egypt-Sudan Railway Line, which is considered as the second stage runs for about 80 kilometers from Wadi Halfa in northern Sudan to Abu Simbel.
Possibility of similar cooperation in the maritime sector
During the meeting, the Sudanese officials also showed their interest in working with Egypt on construction and maintenance activities in the maritime sector. In that regard, Egypt’s transport minister Kamel El-Wazir emphasized that all of Egypt’s ports and maritime transport sector were willing to serve their Sudanese neighbors.
The Egyptian and Sudanese officials addressed the merits of constructing logistics areas at the Egyptian-Sudanese border ports of Qastal and Arqin to promote trade between the two nations.
The two nations also discussed the suggested schedule for implementing the Nile Valley Authority for River Navigation’s development work, as well as urgent plans to develop the authority, rehabilitate workers, rehabilitate current river units and support the authority with specialized technical cadres, with an emphasis on streamlining the Wadi Halfa berth and the Aswan-Wadi Halfa shipment companies.
What we reported ealier
Nov 2020
Governments of Egypt & Sudan to construct railway line linking both states
The government of the Arab Republic of Egypt and that of the Republic of Sudan through their respective ministries of transport have agreed to construct a 609-kilometer railway line linking the two countries. The agreement states that the route will begin from the city of Abu Hamad in the eastern region of Sudan up to the Egyptian border on the East African side, and from the city of Aswan in Egypt to the border with Sudan, on the North African countryside.
Both parties examined ways of acquiring funding to finance the feasibility studies for the project. Financing is likely to be through the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, commonly known as the Kuwait Fund, and which is a State of Kuwait’s agency for the provision and administration of financial and technical assistance to developing countries.
Plans for the establishment of a road network linking the two countries
Also Read: Construction of highway from Juba to Terekeka in South Sudan complete
On the sidelines of the signing of the agreement for the establishment of the railway line, the two countries also discussed the possibilities of constructing a road network connecting Egypt and Sudan through Chad and another one extending from Cairo to Cape Town passing through Sudan among nine other African states.
Speaking of the latter, the Egyptian government has already started establishing sections of the network on its territory. That section begins from Fayoum, passes through Beni Suef, Menya, Asyut, Sohag, Qena, Luxor, Aswan, Toshki, and ends in Arkin crossing with Sudan.
Also Read: Monorail project to be constructed in Egypt’s New Administrative Capital
The Cairo-Cape Town Road is aimed at boosting trade exchange among the African states, creating job opportunities, and achieving comprehensive development.
Cooperation in the maritime transportation sector
The Sudanese minister also requested cooperation with the Egyptian side in the maritime transportation sector, including the training of cadres at Egypt’s Arab Academy for Science, Technology, and Maritime Transportation.
The Sudanese individuals working in the sector will also be trained at Egyptian seaports and the Egyptian Authority for Maritime Safety (EAMS).
