1st rail journey on Cairo-Luxor line by new Talgo train slated for Sunday

Trips on the Cairo-Alexandria line using the new Spanish-made trains began in late December.

The Cairo-Luxor train will run on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. It will depart Misr station in Cairo at 10:50pm, making stops at Giza, Assuit, Sohag and Qena, before arriving in Luxor at 8:40am.

The operation of the new train comes as part of the government’s efforts to upgrade the country’s railways, including carriages and crew, to ensure better services for users, added the minister.

The minister said that the bodies of the new trains are made of aluminum, which reduces their weight and helps reduce the train’s fuel consumption during the journey.

For people with special needs, each seat of the first-class carriages is equipped with an informational display screen, while each second-class carriage is fitted with a central screen, said the minister

The carriages are air-conditioned and fitted with surveillance cameras for security, he also noted.

Egypt has so far received four passenger trains from Talgo as per a 157-million-euro contract signed in 2019 to supply seven new trains, including one as a gift.

Each train consists of five first-class railcars, eight second-class railcars, a caboose and an engine car.