The luxurious Talgo train made its first trip across the Upper Egypt line on February 5, taking the long route from Cairo to Luxor. The train departed Rameses Station at 10:50 PM, expected to arrive in Luxor the next day, February 6, at 8:50 AM.
According to revelations from Egyptian authorities, the train supposedly made four stops at the Giza, Assiut, Sohag, and Qena stations. They further explained that the train is set to take the same route 3 days a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays of every week.
The government noted that the Talgo is a result of the state’s continuous efforts to upgrade railroads across Egypt through a cooperation project with the Spanish transportation company Talgo.
They also declared that the train will include several new lines soon, such as the Cairo-Alexandria line, which development is currently in process and expected to operate in late December 2023.
Running at 120 kilometers/hour, the luxury train contains two classes with ticket prices ranging from 400 to 600 for the full trip from Cairo to Luxor; prices will differ according to the passenger’s designated station. The first-class costs EGP 600, while the second amounts to EGP 400, equivalent to USD 19.80 and USD 13.20, respectively.
Kamel el-Wazir, Minister of Transportation, indicated that the trains are built from aluminum, which efficiently reduces fuel consumption during the train’s trip due to its lightweight nature.
He further explained that each train consists of five first-class railcars, eight second-class railcars, a caboose, and an engine car. All carriages are air-conditioned and contain surveillance cameras for security purposes.
Moreover, Talgo trains include informational display screens in the first class and a central screen in the second for passengers with special needs.
To date, Egypt has received four passenger trains from Talgo at EGP 5.1 B (EUR 157 M), as per the contract previously signed in 2019. The contract also states that Egypt will receive 3 more trains, reaching a total of 7 trains, including one granted as a gift by the Spanish Transportation Company.
