Egypt halts trains during protests

[John Ashworth]

EGYPT HALTS TRAINS

By railwaysafricaeditor / February 7, 2011 / Egypt

The Egyptian Railway Authority announced on 31 January that all rail service throughout the country had been halted. It refrained from giving reasons and announced no deadline for a return to normal.

An official in the authority told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the decision was an attempt to thwart the activities of “convicts and prisoners” from spreading to different Egyptian cities.

Another source said the government was trying to stop the flow of people to Cairo to take part in the 1 February “one-million people protest”, demands for the ousting of President Hosni Mubarak, who has been in office for 30 years. Tuesday 1 February was the eighth day of mass protest in which 97 people died up to that time, with “thousands” hurt.

[John Ashworth]

EGYPT’S TRAIN RUNNING AGAIN

By railwaysafricaeditor / February 14, 2011 / Egypt

Train services resumed in Upper and Lower Egypt on 5 February, after five days’ suspension due to the wave of nationwide political protests. To comply with curfew orders, the Egyptian Metro Corporation announced that Cairo’s metro will operate between 06:00 and 19:00.