Asia-Pacific was the fastest growing region for big data hiring among railway industry companies in the three months ending September. Credit: Jake Weirick on Unsplash.

Egyptian National Railway (ENR) has entered a framework agreement with Thales to upgrade signalling and telecommunication, overhaul tracks, and duplicate two railway lines.

These lines include the 94km-long Qalyoub – Menouf – Tanta Line and 64km-long Qalyoub – Shebin El Qanater – El Zagazig lines.

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In addition, Thales and ENR signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to upgrade two interlocking stations in Farz and Limon bridge.

The framework agreement is the continuation of a deal that was struck between the two parties in September this year.

These two lines face heavy congestion in the Delta region and ENR is planning to enhance their capacity.

Thales will offer a ‘turnkey’ proposal to enhance signalling and telecommunication systems and restore the track.

It will duplicate the tracks, upgrading them from single to double lines.

The company will also work towards the incorporation of a national centralised traffic control (CTC) system for ENR Network, as well as an ETCS L1 solution along the two tracks.

As part of the MoU, two interlocking stations will undergo improvement work.

The two towers located at the stations will ‘complement’ the modernisation of the Cairo – Alexandria Corridor, which is currently in progress.

Following the modernisation of these stations, ENR will have a completely compatible signalling technology with the system already being deployed in Cairo Alexandria.

Thales said in a statement: “This modernisation scope shall enhance ENR operations around Ramsis Station by improving the level of safety as trains approach the main station from different secondary lines.”

As of now, Thales is working to upgrade the signalling system for the Cairo-Alexandria rail route, which serves more than 25 million passengers annually.

After the completion of this project, the speed of the trains will increase from 140km/h to 160 km/h, reducing headways between trains by half to five minutes.

Last month, Thales won three new contracts to modernise signalling systems at Cascais Line, West Line, and Santa Apolónia Station in the Lisbon region in Portugal.