Minister Asserts Maintenance as Key to Efficient Railway Operations

Minister of Transport Tour.

Engineer Kamel El-Wazir, Egypt’s Minister of Transport, conducted an inspection tour at the High Dam Workshop in Aswan, accompanied by Engineer Amr Lashine, Governor of Aswan, and Engineer Mohamed Amer, Chairman of the Egyptian National Railways.

This visit aligns with directives from President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to continue implementing a comprehensive plan aimed at modernizing and developing the transport system, enhancing services for citizens. The tour was part of a broader initiative in Aswan and Luxor to monitor the progress of various developmental and service projects undertaken by the ministry, ensuring smooth operations across all transport facilities.

During the visit, El-Wazir reviewed the technical preparations for trains operating on the High Dam/Cairo line, assessing train readiness, the efficiency of working teams, and the technical security measures in place at the workshop. These efforts are crucial for maintaining high safety standards and ensuring consistent operational flow while providing quality service to passengers.

The minister received a detailed briefing on the workshop’s capabilities, developed by the Holding Company for Roads, Bridges, and Marine Works—one of the Ministry of Transport’s subsidiaries. This facility represents a significant addition to the maintenance and technical support framework within the Egyptian National Railways. It features nine tracks: seven within the shed and two in the workshop yard. This setup allows for efficient execution of various maintenance tasks while supporting 34 trains daily at Aswan Station, including eight VIP trains, eight Russian dynamic ventilation trains, 14 Russian air-conditioned trains, and four suburban trains.

The workshop is equipped to conduct technical inspections and preventive maintenance before journeys as well as necessary reviews after train arrivals. This includes brake shoe replacements, track adjustments, welding activities, and other maintenance services. The minister also observed operations for storing incoming trains in Aswan to maintain air conditioning efficiency and prepare them for new journeys. The workshop is responsible for reviewing lighting systems and air conditioning circuits to ensure operational readiness while also overseeing cleaning and thorough sanitization processes for carriages.

During his tour, El-Wazir emphasized that maintenance and technical security serve as the first line of defense in preserving operational efficiency and regular train movement. He stressed the importance of adhering to high quality and safety standards across all technical operations to ensure passenger safety and sustain equipment reliability.

The minister highlighted that Egypt is implementing an unprecedented plan to enhance its railway system based on seven main pillars: upgrading rolling stock, improving infrastructure, modernizing signaling systems and communication controls, enhancing technical security measures at workshops, developing human resources, restructuring organizational frameworks, and updating financial structures within the authority.

He further noted that his ministry has completed renovations on 33 workshops nationwide while eight new workshops have been established out of a total target of 11. Work continues on three remaining workshops to keep pace with significant advancements in modern locomotives and carriages while ensuring maximum operational reliability across Egypt’s railway network.

These efforts are part of Egypt’s vision to build a modern and sustainable transport system that relies on cutting-edge global technologies while providing safe services to millions of passengers. This initiative enhances the role of railways as a vital artery for development.