EGYPTIAN National Railways (ENR) has awarded Mermec a €130m contract to supply ETCS Level 1 for the Al Ferdan - Bir Al Abd and Balouza - East Port Said lines. Mermec will work jointly on the project with local contractor El Hazek Construction.
The project forms part of a developing logistics corridor connecting the Sinai Peninsula with Egypt west of the Suez Canal, fostering wider economic development in Sinai and reducing transport C02 emissions.
Mermec will also provide operations and maintenance training for Egyptian personnel. The company’s strategy to develop new business outside its home market of Italy could also see it establish a centre of excellence for railway signalling and infrastructure projects in Egypt.
The contract with ENR was signed by Mermec vice-president, Mr Angelo Petrosillo, Egypt’s transport minister, Mr Kamel Al-Wazir, and ENR chairman, Mr Mohamed Amer Abdel Aziz, in the presence of Italy’s ambassador to Egypt, Mr Michele Quaroni.
Contract signature took place on the sidelines of the Egypt-EU Investment Conference in Cairo on June 30, when Al-Wazir also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mr Michal Ron, chief international business officer at Italy’s export credit agency, SACE.
SACE which will support green transport projects in Egypt and encourage the participation of Italian suppliers through export credit insurance and guarantee programmes worth up to €800m.
ENR has concluded an agreement with Italian company Arsenale to launch a luxury tourist train service known as The Nile Guardian Train. The 15-car train will operate between Cairo, Luxor, and Aswan, showcasing Egypt’s cultural heritage and tourist attractions.
Subscribers to IRJ can read more about Egypt in our April issue.
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