Knorr-Bremse to supply braking systems to Egyptian National Railways passenger fleet

Credit: Knorr-Bremse/TMH International

Dr. Jürgen Wilder, Member of the Knorr-Bremse AG Executive Board and responsible for the Rail Vehicle Systems division, said: “This project is extremely important to us on two counts. Firstly, it is Knorr-Bremse’s largest ever individual equipment order in Egypt, and secondly, it is our first joint original equipment project in Egypt with our partner TMH International. Along with our global production network, one of the key reasons we were awarded the contract is our established successful presence in Egypt’s growing rail transportation market.”

All 1,300 Egyptian National Railways (ENR) passenger cars will be equipped with Knorr-Bremse pneumatic braking systems that will be delivered to TMH International in several batches up to the end of 2022. The first prototypes were supplied in June 2019, with the first shipment of volume-built systems following in December 2019. The run-up to the initial shipment saw intensive international cooperation between the Knorr-Bremse sites in Munich, Moscow, Budapest and Mödling, Austria.

With top speeds of up to 140km/h, the passenger cars will serve the entire ENR network. Among others, they will connect cities Alexandria and Port Said to Cairo, which has a population of approximately 20.9 million making it the largest metropolitan area in North Africa. Depending on their configuration, the cars will provide up to 88 passenger seats each, with the operator planning to run up to 16 cars per train. In service, Egypt’s hot and dusty desert climate poses particular challenges for the braking equipment. These have been addressed by Knorr-Bremse, not least by giving the brake calipers a special paint finish to protect them against the tough environment.

Mark Cleobury, Member of the Management Board of Knorr-Bremse Rail Vehicle Systems, said: “Our braking systems are key to the long-term modernisation of rail transportation in Egypt and to delivering enhanced mobility for the people who live there. As the technology helps to connect some of the country’s major cities, it can also contribute to tackling road congestion.”

“The contract with Egyptian National Railways is a multi-country project involving Egypt, Russia and Hungary, as well as a global supply chain including leading rail systems companies like Knorr-Bremse from Germany, with which we’re very pleased to cooperate. Over the course of the project, we will also source equipment in South Africa and Hungary, where we are present, in a commitment to support the national economies and their export potential,” said Kirill Lipa, CEO of TMH.