Egypt: The inaugural journey, conducted during the TransMEA exhibition, was attended by the country’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly.
The four-car, partially double-deck trainset covered a 143-km section of the future line connecting the city of Ain Sokhna on the Red Sea coast to the Mediterranean port cities of El Alamein and Marsa Matruh.
Beginning of the trial operation of the first Desiro HC EMU from Siemens Mobility in Egypt. Source: ONLiveegypt/youtube
It was previously reported that the interior design is similar to that of series-produced units for German operator Deutsche Bahn. At the same time, this variant features a more powerful AC system and spoilers underneath interim cars, which minimise sand ingress. The train is said to have a maximum speed of 160 km/h and can accommodate up to 849 passengers, 389 of whom are seated.
Siemens Mobility secured its largest-ever contract in 2022, covering 94 Desiro HC trains, 41 Velaro high-speed trainsets, and 41 Vectron freight locomotives.
