The board of the Egyptian National Railways decided during its meeting Tuesday evening to increase the prices of air-conditioned trains starting Wednesday July 1, 2015.
Ahmed Hamed, chairman of the authority, said there would be no increase in the price of normal trains, despite recent work to improve services on them.
According to Hamed, the new ticket prices will be LE20 for first class air-conditioned train seats and LE10 for second class air-conditioned train seats.
The increase in prices aims to cover costs and reduce the burden placed on the state, especially in these difficult times experienced by the country, Hamed added.
The price for spare parts, maintenance and fuel continue to increase and have amounted to more than a 300 percent increase, in addition to losses incurred by the authority requiring an amendment to the pricing policy to be commensurate with the real cost of the transfer of passengers, he said.
The authority has also taken into account the social conditions of low-income passengers, Hamed pointed out.
The prime minister approved the increase in a meeting on Saturday June 27 with the transport minister, Hamed and leaders from the Egyptian National Railways, according to Hamed.
Transport Minister Hany Dahy accompanied Hamed and other railway authority officials on a tour to Misr Station Tuesday, where they inspected the security situation and the regularity of ticket reservations.
The minister stressed the importance of keeping the trains and stations clean on regular basis.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
