A consortium led by Siemens Mobility, which comprises Orascom Construction and The Arab Contractors, has signed a EUR5.4 billion (US$5.81 billion) contract with the Egyptian National Authority for Tunnels to deliver the high-speed rail system in Egypt.

This signing finalizes the EUR8.1 billion (US$8.71 billion) contract, which also includes a EUR2.7 billion (US$2.90 billion) contract for the first line signed by Siemens Mobility on September 1, 2021. The scope of the final contract involves 41 Velaro eight-car high-speed trains, 94 Desiro high-capacity four-car regional train sets, 41 Vectron freight locomotives, the latest rail infrastructure technology, eight depots & yards and a 15-year maintenance agreement. 

The Egyptian high-speed network will consist of three lines: 

1. A 660-kilometer line connecting the port cities of Ain Sokhna on the Red Sea to Marsa Matrouh and Alexandria on the Mediterranean;
2. A 1,100-kilometer line between Cairo and Abu Simbel near the Sudan border, linking the mega city to rising economic centers in the south;
3. A 225-kilometer that connects world heritage archeological sites in Luxor with Hurghada by the Red Sea.