Egypt is accelerating construction on a 341-kilometre railway corridor linking Bir al-Abd, Arish, and Ras El-Naqab near Taba Airport, advancing a national effort to integrate the Sinai Peninsula into the country’s primary rail network and drive regional economic development. Transport Minister Kamel Al-Wazir inspected active building sites along the route, focusing specifically on an 83-kilometer stretch between Bir al-Abd and Arish where embankment works and track installations are underway. Eleven separate Egyptian firms have been contracted to execute the infrastructure works across the multi-phase undertaking.
Infrastructure Progress and Logistics Integration
The large-scale transport initiative includes two 12-kilometer branch lines designed to directly connect the primary railway to Arish Port and a local cement factory. During his site inspections, Al-Wazir reviewed ongoing construction at seven stations: El-Sadat, El-Toloul, Martyrs of Al-Rawda, Salt Factory, Masaeed, Sinai–Central Arish, and Arish Airport. Engineering crews are also building nine road-crossing bridges, one dedicated railway bridge, and two tunnels along the route.
Work is progressing simultaneously on the remaining segments of the corridor, including an 85-kilometer section between Arish and Hassana and a 173-kilometer stretch connecting Hassana to Taba. Al-Wazir directed contractors to maintain round-the-clock operations while adhering strictly to established technical standards and construction schedules.
National Network Expansion and Economic Impact
The corridor forms a central part of the broader 500-kilometer Firdan–East Port Said–Bir al-Abd–Arish–Taba railway project. This route anchors one of eight integrated logistics and development corridors currently being implemented by the Ministry of Transport to expand national infrastructure.
According to the Ministry of Transport, the completed railway will accommodate both passenger and freight traffic, connecting residential communities, industrial zones, and mining operations in Sinai directly to Egypt’s wider rail grid. The system is engineered to streamline the movement and export of commercial goods through Arish and Taba ports while establishing vital links to inland dry ports and logistics zones.
Authorities expect the transport upgrade to spur private investment and support industrial, commercial, tourism, and mining ventures across the peninsula, while offering residents faster and safer travel options. The first 100-kilometer phase of the broader project—linking Firdan and Bir al-Abd—was completed last year, successfully restoring railway connectivity between portions of the Sinai Peninsula and the national network.
