As part of the ongoing signaling modernization project in Egypt, seven key stations have been commissioned for the Egyptian National Railways (ENR), a company that provides rail infrastructure and services in the North African country under the parastatal Egyptian Railway Authority (ERA).
These stations were commissioned along the Cairo-Alexandria railway line which serves 25 million passengers a year. The stations are supplemented by a new and improved signaling system on 107km of track owing to Thales Group, a French multinational company that designs and builds electrical systems and provides services for the aerospace, defense, transportation, and security markets.
About the signaling modernization projects
The signaling modernization project is a project with which the ENR intends to replace the existing mechanical signaling systems with Thales’ Electronic Interlocking System (EIS) across three of its most prominent lines. These lines are the 159 kilometers Cairo-Alexandria line, the 48 kilometers long Cairo-Benha line, and the 180 kilometers Asyut-Nagahamadi line.
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The project also entails the construction of new level crossings, the upgrade of telecommunications systems, and the construction of new technical buildings for the ENR. Furthermore, it includes the implementation of a centralized control center that will allow the Egyptian National Railways to monitor and supervise train operations for the entire lines.
Support to evolving infrastructure and growing population in Egypt
According to Sherif Barakat, Country Director for Thales in Egypt, the ENR’s signaling modernization project is key to supporting the ever-evolving infrastructure and growing population in the North African country.
“Our aim is to deliver a robust and safe signaling system to transport passengers within and between cities, faster and safer. Despite the challenges posed by the global pandemic, we have made significant progress and we are moving at a strong pace with ENR to finalize the project as per the agreed timeline,” commented Barakat.
