Egyptian-Chinese consortium wins Ain Sokhna-Alamein high-speed rail contract: An Egyptian-Chinese consortium has won a tender for the design, finance and operate a high-speed train linking Ain Sokhna and New Alamein, Al Mal reports, citing an unnamed source. The consortium includes Samcrete, Arab Organization for Industrialization, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, and China Railway Construction Corporation.

Background: The 534-km line will accommodate both cargo and passenger trains and will pass through the new capital, Sixth of October City and Alexandria, making the line the longest in the Middle East. The USD 9 bn project would be Egypt’s first high-speed train linking the Red Sea to the Mediterranean, with journeys taking just three hours. The Transport Ministry had also considered extending the line by an additional 350 km connecting Ain Sokhna to Hurghada.