Egypt: The Russian manufacturer will provide 12-year technical support of the Russian-Hungarian passenger coaches being delivered since 2020. The agreements package is worth €430 mln totally.
The agreements between TMH and Egyptian National Railways (ENR) were signed in Cairo last week. Under the documents, it is scheduled to establish a specialised depot in Abu Zaabal (a suburb of Cairo), fit it with necessary equipment, train personnel (including how to carry out a major overhaul after 18 years of operation), as well as maintenance of a rolling stock and supply of spare parts.
At the same time, ENR noted that the production of components in Egypt is to be mastered, too. At the beginning 20% of spare parts for maintenance needs are to come from local suppliers, with a further 60% share to be reached in the future. “It is assumed that the depot will become part of a new railway industrial cluster created by the Egyptian side in partnership with leading international companies”, TMH says in its official press release.
Signing of the agreements on the maintenance of passengerscoaches between TMH and ENR. In the foreground from left to right: TMH Vice President Sergo Kurbanov, Head of ENR Mohamed Amer. In the background from left to right: TMH CEO Kirill Lipa, Egyptian Transport Minister Kamel al-Wazir. Source: TMH
The contract between TMH and ENR on the delivery of 1300 locomotive-hauled passenger coaches worth €1 bln was signed in 2018. The volume of the order was increased by €100 mln in 2022 to include additional 50 coaches with areas for vending machines.
The coaches began to be delivered in 2020, first 622 coaches arrived in Egypt from the Tver Carriage Building Plant (TVZ, part of TMH), since February 2021 – from Hungary, where the final assembly of rolling stock was organised at a plant in Dunakeszi, using the TVZ technology. Last year there was a temporary suspension of coaches’ supplement against sanctions pressure on Russia. Late in 2022 Egyptian Transport Minister Kamel al-Wazir reported the renewal of delivery, 37 new coaches were received. They are supplied by Ganz-MaVag (previously TMH’s assets, they were acquired by Hungarian Magyar Vagon in 2022)
At the moment, 725 wagons have been delivered to ENR, according to TMH. The rolling stock runs daily in the directions Cairo – Alexandria (208 km), Cairo – Assiut (380 km), Cairo – Sohag (473 km). The procurements are to end by 2024.
Russia’s TMH was the first global player in the railway industry market to receive a major contract for a modern rolling stock in Egypt. The country prioritizes the development of rail transport, concluding actively contracts with global manufacturers but at the same time Egypt is working on establishing its own production of rolling stock. In particular, the largest contract in its history was received in Egypt in 2022 by Siemens Mobility worth €8.1 bln.
