Minister of Transport Kamel Al-Wazir toured Alexandria to review progress on the rehabilitation and modernisation of the historic Raml Tram, a flagship national project aimed at upgrading urban mobility and easing traffic congestion in the coastal city. The 13.2-kilometre line, comprising 24 stations, will nearly triple its capacity and halve travel time once completed.
Minister of Transport Kamel Al-Wazir toured Alexandria to review progress on the rehabilitation of the historic Raml Tram, which extends westward from Victoria Station through key districts including San Stefano, Gianaclis, Al-Wizara, Roushdy, Mostafa Kamel, Sidi Gaber, Sporting, Al-Ibrahimiya, and Raml. The 13.2-kilometre line features 24 stations, with 5.7 km at grade, 7.3 km elevated, and 276 metres underground.
Upon completion, the project will nearly triple the tram's capacity from around 4,700 passengers per hour per direction to 13,800. Travel time will drop from 60 minutes to 35 minutes, operational speeds will rise to 70 km/h, and headways will reduce from nine minutes to three. Al-Wazir emphasized that the rehabilitation preserves the tram's historic character while upgrading it to modern safety and efficiency standards, including advanced signalling systems to ease congestion at major intersections.
The initiative incorporates environmental and social elements, such as reduced emissions and noise pollution through clean electric power, alongside direct and indirect job creation during construction and operation. Progress on supplying 30 new tram units from Hyundai Rotem was also reviewed, including spare parts and eight-year maintenance support. During service suspensions, authorities deployed 206 vehicles across three main corridors with peak headways of three to five minutes.
Alexandria Governor Ayman Atiya described the rehabilitation as the second cornerstone of the city's comprehensive urban transport modernisation strategy, combining heritage conservation with smart mobility systems. He highlighted its role in doubling capacity, cutting journey times, and enhancing commuter comfort and safety. The governorate is committed to addressing on-site challenges to meet the implementation timeline while protecting the tram's status as a historic landmark and vital urban artery.
The line was temporarily suspended between Victoria and Mostafa Kamel stations from 1 to 10 February 2026 to assess alternative services. A partial suspension started on 11 February for about six weeks, with a full suspension planned from 1 April to finish the works. The upgraded line will connect to the Cairo-Alexandria Railway at Sidi Gaber Station and to the Alexandria Metro at Sidi Gaber and Victoria stations, fostering integrated green public transport.
