Egypt revives 50-year-old railway in Sinai development push

Egypt's Transport Minister on Monday marked the first passenger service in 50 years on the railway linking Al Ismailia and Bir Al Abd, signifying a milestone in government efforts to develop the Sinai Peninsula, home to vast expanses of mountains and desert.

The revamped line is part of projects aimed at boosting living standards and countering the threat of insurgency, as well as discouraging other countries, particularly Israel, from seeking to relocate Palestinians to the area. The track connects the Suez Canal city of Al Ismailia with Bir El Abd, a small city in North Sinai province about 120km from the Rafah border crossing into Gaza.

A train left on Monday with Transport Minister Kamel El Wazir on board, who said the service would be free of charge in its first week of operations. The railway, officially named the Al Fardan-Bir Al Abd line, has already carried its first freight train, which made a maiden journey on August 6 loaded with 25 containers of goods, Egypt's State Information Service said.

The project constitutes the first phase of a larger network of roads, railway lines and other services that will connect the coastal city of Al Arish in North Sinai to Taba in South Sinai, a tourist hotspot 10km from the Israeli port city of Eilat. The construction drive is aimed at supporting industrial operations, as well as regular travel, Mr El Wazir said on Monday. The full network is expected to be completed in 2030, featuring 500km of rail track.

Al Arish has in the past year been receiving Gaza-bound aid shipments and wounded Palestinians fleeing Israel's assault. More than 41,900 civilians have been killed in Gaza in the past year as Israeli forces lay waste to infrastructure.