Why train accidents are so frequent in Egypt
Despite government efforts to develop the Egyptian railway network, train accidents have become recurrent.
Egypt witnessed April 18 a new train accident after four carriages derailed, resulting in the death of 11 people and the injury of 98 others, according to an official statement issued by the Egyptian Ministry of Health.
The accident that occurred near the city of Toukh in Qalyubia governorate, north of Cairo, is not the first of its kind, as the Egyptian railways witnessed five accidents over the past three weeks — three of which resulted in casualties.
These accidents come as the state works on a plan to develop the transport sector across the railway network in the country, with a budget of 225 billion Egyptian pounds ($14.3 billion) within the 1.5 trillion pounds ($95.5 billion) budget to develop all transport sectors, Minister of Transport Kamel al-Wazir said in statements March 27.
Egypt has the oldest railway network in Africa and the Middle East, and the second in the world, and it extends over 9,570 kilometers (5,946 miles).
