Egypt Targets July 2027 for Ain Sokhna-Matrouh High-Speed Rail Service

Egypt is targeting July 2027 to begin passenger operations on the first line of its high-speed electric railway network, connecting Ain Sokhna on the Red Sea with Marsa Matrouh on the Mediterranean, Minister of Transport Kamel El-Wazir said on Wednesday, 30 September.

Speaking during a phone interview with state-run Channel One’s ‘Men Maspero’ programme, El-Wazir said the 660-kilometre line will include 21 stations and a central control centre.

The route will connect Ain Sokhna with Cairo, Alexandria, New Alamein, and Marsa Matrouh, serving residential areas, tourist destinations, industrial zones, and logistics hubs along the way. Official project updates describe the line as part of the Sokhna-Alexandria logistics corridor, which is intended to connect Red Sea and Mediterranean ports with industrial and logistics areas.

El-Wazir said high-speed trains on the line will operate at speeds of up to 250 kilometres per hour, with journeys between Cairo and Marsa Matrouh expected to take between two and two-and-a-half hours. Travel between Ain Sokhna and Marsa Matrouh is expected to take between three and three-and-a-half hours.

The line will operate different services for passengers and freight. High-speed trains will travel at up to 250 kilometres per hour, while regional trains stopping at intermediate stations will reach speeds of up to 160 kilometres per hour. The first line is planned to include 15 high-speed trains, 34 regional trains, and 14 freight locomotives.

The project forms part of Egypt’s wider high-speed electric rail network. The first three lines span around 2,000 kilometres, with plans to eventually expand the network to four lines covering approximately 2,250 kilometres.

The second line is planned to extend from 6 October City through Upper Egypt to Abu Simbel, while the third will connect Qena with Hurghada and Safaga on the Red Sea coast. The network is also designed to integrate with other modes of public transport, with the first line connecting to the Light Rail Transit (LRT) at the Capital Central Station.

The July 2027 timeline follows earlier government plans to begin trial operations on sections of the first line in September 2026, with testing expected to last around six months before passenger services begin.