Hitachi Rail has delivered a new Traffic Control Centre (TCC) to Egyptian National Railways.
The installation of the new TCC in Cairo marks the completion of a contract forming part of the railway infrastructure transformation plan promoted by the Egyptian Ministry of Transport.
Implemented to manage the 19 stations making up the Cairo-Alexandra line; the Centre’s Centralised Traffic Control (CTC) system will work alongside newly modernised level crossings and new technical buildings, including main and secondary towers, which have also been constructed as part of the transformation plan.
With an initial contract signed in 2013, the agreement has seen an extension to over 100 million EUR of investment. Over the course of the last twelve years, the network’s old mechanical and electrical signalling on the main lines have been replaced with a modern electronic system, including digital interlockings, new signals and motorised drives.
A fixed and mobile telecommunications system has also been installed, as well as technology enabling the driver to communicate with the operations manager in the case of an emergency or failure.
As a result of line upgrades, the line’s operational capacity has increased by up to 40%, with trains able to reach speeds of up to 160 km/h, reducing journey time from Cairo–Alexandra to two and a half hours.
The improvement will also allow for a doubling of the number of trains each day, with a maximum line capacity of 286 compared to the current 140.
Bruno Teixeira, General Project Manager of Hitachi Rail in Egypt, said:Our team has played a critical part in modernising this vital line, making every day travel safe, seamless and more efficient for the citizens in Egypt.
An increase in the overall number of freight trains is also planned to reach 15 daily convoys in 2030, and up to 50 in 2060, with a goal to transport 18,400 containers per year by rail.
