Egypt: Egyptian Transport Minister Kamel al-Wazir announced receiving of 37 new third-class coaches from Hungary at the port of Alexandria. The delivery had been interrupted for several months.
It is noted that Hungary’s Ganz-MaVag is continuing the shipments. The MTI news agency reported in June that TMH’s assets in Hungary were acquired by Magyar Vagon, while the legal entities were renamed Ganz-MaVag. At the time TMH CEO Kirill Lipa also spoke about the sale of the Hungarian business, later making an additional point that cooperation on the Egyptian contract is maintained. According to him, the Hungarian authorities support the implementation of the contract, with the need for the documents to be re-signed caused by the sanctions.
A contract between TMH and Egyptian National Railways (ENR) for the supply of 1,300 coaches worth more than €1bn was signed in 2018. The deal also includes maintenance of the rolling stock and supply of spare parts. The producer is to additionally set up a repair shop. Kirill Lipa said in September that a contract for the service of the supplied rolling stock was under signing. It envisages funding from Egypt to set up a depot near Cairo and organise maintenance for 12 years.
In total, ENR’s initial order included 500 units of third-class coaches, 180 second-class, 90 first-class, 30 coaches with a cafeteria, all fitted with air conditioning, as well as 500 third-class carriages with forced ventilation. Under the contract, production cooperation in Russia and Hungary was planned. About half of the coaches were manufactured entirely in Russia at Tver Carriage Works (TVZ, part of TMH), while the remainder were assembled in Hungary on the basis of TVZ coach sets. TMH acquired a plant in Dunakeszi, Hungary in 2020, and the first batch of carriages from this site was sent to ENR in early 2021.
The interior of the third-class coach for ENR. Source: almasdar.com
Kamel al-Wazir also said that the contract has been extended by another 50 dining coaches. So far, the total number of vehicles received by ENR is 695 units.
The design of the coaches has been developed in accordance with ENR’s specifications. In particular, the rolling stock is adapted to operate at temperatures up to +50°C in desert conditions. For example, the end doors have been specially designed to prevent dust and sand from seeping inside. In addition, the vehicles make use of specific window designs: the fanlight is located at the bottom of the window and has a lifting mechanism. Also, the coach body has increased rigidity and durability under high temperatures.
