Today, Lt. Gen. Engineer Kamel Al-Wazir - Minister ofTransport in Alexandria Port received the fifth batch of new railroad tractors, with a total of 30 tractors, as part of a deal to manufacture and supply 110 new railroad tractors,rehabilitate 81 tractors from the current fleet, and supply long-term spare parts for a period of 15 years, including Technical support, with total cost $ 602.05 million, which was previously signed by the Egyptian Railways Authority with GE Transportation. The Minister of Transport said that:with the arrival of the fifth batch, the total number of tractors from the deal that have reached to be so far 100 new tractors which will form a tremendous support for the railway traction force and will contribute to the regularity of operating schedules, improving the service provided to the passengers and meeting the demands of railway users, to keep pace with the increasing need of the transportation sector able to bring about development, adding that this comes in implementation of the directives of the politicalleader ship to comprehensively develop the railway system in Egypt to provide services at the highest level to the Egyptian citizen, adding that these new tractors are installed with the new carriages that arrive in succession, within the framework of the new operating plan that depends onoperating trains consisting of tractors and wagons. all are new to improve the level of services provided to passengers,a plan that has begun to bear fruit and made the citizen seethe improvement in the level of service on the ground, part of these new tractors will also be operated in freight trains,especially with the great interest that the Ministry ofTransport attaches to maximizing the transportation system to increase the revenues of the Financial Railways Authority, save fuel and reduce congestion on roads that cost exorbitant sums to maintain due to the heavy traffic of heavy cargoes transport carriages, In addition to the cargoesenvironmental impact that results from reducing the size of pollutants. The Minister indicated in press statements on the sidelines of his inspection tour that what is manufactured of tractors is being inspected by technical committees from the railways, and with regard to the rehabilitation of 81 General Electric tractors, which take place inside Eltabin the railway workshop, 8 tractors have been completed, The rest of the tractors will be rehabilitated and put into operation according to the specified schedule, He pointed out thatthese tractors are subject to continuous technical follow-up,to ensure their technical readiness, and that each tractor hasa technical file in which everything related to it is registered,its overhaul and other various technical matters, that everytractor has a technical file registered with everything relatedto it, Lt. Gen. Engineer Kamel Al-Wazir - Minister of Transport,explained that 260 new tractors were contracted, and that the modernization, rehabilitation and repair of 172 tractors from the current fleet were contracted with major internationa lcompanies specialized in this field, represented by (110 new General Electric tractors and the rehabilitation of 81 GeneralElectric tractors - and the manufacture and supply of 50 new tractors. With the American company PRL, In addition to modernizing 50 tractors from the current fleet, and massiveoverhaul of another 41 tractors from the current fleet, inaddition to a long-term maintenance contract for 15 years for 141 tractors, the total deal value was $ 466.3 million, inaddition to 100 new tractors funded by the European Bank to restore Reconstruction and Development (EBRD, estimatedat 290 million Euros) The Minister of Transport added thatthere is great interest in training the human element in the railway as it is the most important element of the system’ssuccess, as engineers and technicians are dispatched to train abroad with the companies that are contracted to supply mobile units. Specialized workshops are also beingestablished in every type of mobile unit such as Tebeenworkshops. Specialized in the rehabilitation and repair ofGE tractors, where these works are carriageried out under the supervision of experts of these international companies and by the hands of engineers, workers and technicians, Hepointed out that during the last period, 150 railway engineers were appointed, who were selected according to the highest selection criteria, and they were certified. The appointment of another 150 engineers, as well as the appointment of 1000t echnicians and workers, which had not happened before,which indicates the extent of the ministry’s interest in the human factor in the railway, adding that all the elements of the system are being developed from the stations, the modernization of the railway electrical signal system,crossings and rails, as well as the duplication of single linesand then the establishment of new lines in order to Wecarriage 1.5 million passengers in 2024, The Minister called on citizens to be carriage to obtain a ticket to board the trains as it is one of the sources of income in the railway and to avoid the negative behaviors of the railways such asflattening the top of the trains and tightening the air brakesduring the course of the trains and not to maintain the cleanliness of the trains as the railway belongs to the Egyptian people and that it must be preserved.05/09/2020
