Deadly crash sparks calls for railway reform in Egypt

After a train crash earlier this month left over 40 Egyptians dead, many are calling for a new approach to addressing the chronic problems facing the country's rail system.
Egyptians look at the crash of two trains that collided near the Khorshid station in Egypt's coastal city of Alexandria, Egypt August 11, 2017. REUTERS/Osama Nageb - RTS1BDQ4
Egyptians look at the crash of two trains that collided near the Khorshid station in Egypt's coastal city of Alexandria, Aug. 11, 2017. - REUTERS/Osama Nageb
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Fatma Lotfi
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CAIRO — In Egypt's deadliest rail accident in years, 42 people were killed and 123 were injured when two trains collided near the Khorshid train station east of Alexandria, according to a statement by the Ministry of Health Aug. 11.

The initial reports suggested that the crash occurred because of a signal fault, causing the train traveling from Cairo to crash into the back of another that stopped suddenly, resulting in several train cars being crushed. However, the Egyptian Railway Authority (ERA) blamed both trains' conductors for the crash.

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