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Environmental Quality International

18 El Mansour Mohamed St., Zamalek, Cairo 11211, Egypt

April 2008

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Environmental Quality International 1

EGYPTIAN NATIONAL RAILWAYS EGYPTIAN NATIONAL RAILWAYS RESTRUCTURING PROJECT

Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Report

Environmental Quality International

18 El Mansour Mohamed St., Zamalek, Cairo 11211, Egypt

May 2008

Environmental Impact Assessment of ENRRP ESIA Report


TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 Executive Summary ...................................................................................................... 6

1.1 Project Objectives and Description....................................................................... 6 1.2 Legal and Institutional Aspects ............................................................................. 7

1.2.1 Relevant Egyptian Legislations ......................................................................... 7 1.2.2 Relevant World Bank Policies ......................................................................... 10

1.3 Analysis of Alternatives........................................................................................ 10 1.4 Significant Impacts ............................................................................................... 13

1.4.1 Socio-economic impact.................................................................................... 13 1.4.2 Noise, Air Quality and Water Quality ............................................................. 16 1.4.3 Surface Water................................................................................................... 17 1.4.4 Biodiversity...................................................................................................... 17

1.6 Public Consultation............................................................................................... 17 1.5 Environmental Management Plan....................................................................... 19

2.0 Policy, Legal and Administrative Framework ............................................................ 32 2.1 Relevant Egyptian Laws and Regulations .......................................................... 32 2.2 Relevant World Bank Policies ............................................................................. 38 2.3 Administrative framework................................................................................... 38

3.0 Project Objectives and Description............................................................................. 40 3.1 Background ........................................................................................................... 40 3.2 Project component 1 ............................................................................................. 41 3.3 Project component 2 ............................................................................................. 49 3.4 Additional required services, land and developments....................................... 53

4.0 Baseline Data .............................................................................................................. 54 4.1 Geographical scope ............................................................................................... 54

4.1.1 Project component 1 ........................................................................................ 54 4.1.2 Project component 2 ........................................................................................ 54

4.2 The Physical and Biological Setting .................................................................... 57 4.2.1 Geomorphology ............................................................................................... 57 4.2.2 Climate............................................................................................................. 57 4.2.3 Noise ................................................................................................................ 58 4.2.4 Air Quality ....................................................................................................... 59 4.2.5 Soil and Ground Water pollution..................................................................... 61 4.2.6 Biodiversity...................................................................................................... 61

4.3 The Socio-economic setting .................................................................................. 61 4.3.1 Background ...................................................................................................... 61 4.3.2 Socioeconomic profile of the project area ....................................................... 62

5.0 Environmental and Social Impacts ......................................................................... 67 5.1 Data Collection ...................................................................................................... 67 5.2 Impact Prediction.................................................................................................. 68

5.2.1 Identification of key impact areas.................................................................... 69 5.2.2 Identification of key project activities ............................................................. 72

6.0 Public Consultation and Disclosure Activities ........................................................... 76



6.1 Public consultation meetings................................................................................ 76 7.0 Key Impacts ................................................................................................................ 79

7.1 Noise, Air Quality and Water Quality ................................................................ 79 7.2 Surface Water........................................................................................................ 80 7.3 Biodiversity............................................................................................................ 80 7.4 Secondary impacts on the physical environment............................................... 80 7.5 Socio-economic impact ......................................................................................... 83

8.0 Analysis of Alternatives.............................................................................................. 87 8.1 Alternative 1: No action........................................................................................ 87 8.2 Alternative 2: Implementation of the proposed project (Components 1 and 2)........................................................................................................................................ 87

9.0 Environmental Management Plan........................................................................... 91 9.1 Institutional Aspects ............................................................................................. 91

9.1.1 Guiding principles for the establishment of the Environmental Affairs Directorate................................................................................................................. 91

9.2 Environmental and Social Aspects ...................................................................... 95 9.2.1 Construction phase impacts ............................................................................. 95 9.2.2 Operation and maintenance phase impacts ...................................................... 98

9.3 Monitoring Plan .................................................................................................. 106 ANNEX 1. Newspaper advertisement of public consultation meetings (Al Ahram, 23 March 2008).

ANNEX 2. Preliminary signaling layout plan

ANNEX 3. Level crossings of the Arab El Raml – Alexandria sector of the Cairo – Alexandria Railway line.

ANNEX 4. A list of terrestrial fauna of the Nile Valley and Delta.

ANNEX 5. A list of common vascular plants of the Nile Valley and Delta

ANNEX 6. Socioeconomic Profile of Selected Governorates

ANNEX 7. Interview data collection forms

ANNEX 8. ENR Organizational Structure

ANNEX 9. A sample declaration and procedure for the establishment of EAD



TABLE OF TABLES Table 1. Institutional strengthening and training for implementation requirements ........ 19 Table 2. Potential environmental and social impacts of the project activities during the construction and operation phases and their proposed mitigation measures. ................... 20 Table 3. Monitoring plan. ................................................................................................. 26 Table 4. Summary of concerns and issues raised during the consultation meetings. ....... 30 Table 5. Maximum allowable noise intensity in different areas....................................... 34 Table 6. Permissible exposure times to different sound intensities. ................................. 35 Table 7. Number of permissible intermittent impacts during the daily working hours.... 35 Table 8. Permissible outdoor air pollutants limits in microgram per cubic meter unless otherwise specified............................................................................................................ 36 Table 9. Track lengths and locations to be replaced. ........................................................ 51 Table 10. Governorates transected by the Cairo - Alexandria railway line and the size of their urban and rural populations. ..................................................................................... 64 Table 11. Covernorates and Administrative Centers (Markaz) linked by railway lines of project components 1 and 2. ............................................................................................. 65 Table 12. Governorates transected by the Cairo – High Dam railway line and the size of their urban and rural populations. ..................................................................................... 66 Table 13. Environmental Components (impact areas)...................................................... 71 Table 14. Construction activities ...................................................................................... 73 Table 15. Operation activities ........................................................................................... 75 Table 16. Composition of population sample intervwied................................................. 77 Table 17. Elements of construction activities that are expected to adversely affect the environment and their direct and indirect impacts............................................................ 82 Table 18. Institutional strengthening and training for implementation requirements ...... 94 Table 19. Potential environmental and social impacts of the project activities during the construction and operation phases and their proposed mitigation measures. ................. 100 Table 20. Monitoring plan. ............................................................................................. 108



TABLE OF FIGURES

Figure 1. Geographical locations of Project Components 1 and 2. .................................. 18 Figure 2. Attendance structure of Public Consultation Meetings held in Cairo (72 attendants) and Minya (112 attendants). ........................................................................... 29 Figure 3. An automatic interlocking unit just south of Tanta. .......................................... 43 Figure 4.The Tanta Traffic Control Center....................................................................... 44 Figure 5. A level crossing in a rural area. ......................................................................... 45 Figure 6. Traffic control panel. Tanta Traffic Control Center. ......................................... 46 Figure 7. Kafr El Zaiyat Bridge. ....................................................................................... 47 Figure 8. The Cairo – Alexandria railway line and the Arab El Raml -Alexandria signaling system upgrading sector, showing the approximate locations of existing dispatcher towers, proposed dispatcher towers, draw bridges and the Tanta traffic control center................................................................................................................................. 48 Figure 9. Railway corridor near Minya. Note Ibrahimiya canal on the right side of the photo. ................................................................................................................................ 49 Figure 10. Track replacement sections. ............................................................................ 51 Figure 11. Geographical location of Project Component 1 area showing the Cairo – Alexandria railway line and main population centers serviced by that line. .................... 55 Figure 12. Geographical location of Project Component 2 area showing the Cairo – High Dam and Banha - Zagazig railway lines and main population centers serviced by these lines. ...................................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 13. A Landsat Imagery showing main topographic features of the Nile Valley and Delta and adjacent desert. ................................................................................................. 60 Figure 14. Basalt quarries in Abu Zahbal. ........................................................................ 81



1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This executive summary presents the main findings of the environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) carried out for the Egyptian national railways restructuring project (ENRRP). The project, which is currently under consideration by the ministry of transport and the world bank consists of (i) modernizing the signaling system on the Arab El Raml – Alexandria Line and creating a Central Traffic Management Center in Tanta; and (ii) renewing 200 km of track in Lower and Upper Egypt.

The objective of the ESIA is to identify and examine the potential socio-cultural, economic, physical, and biological impacts of the project, propose measures to mitigate its adverse impacts, and develop plans for managing and monitoring the environmental aspects of the project.

This executive summary outlines the environmental and social sensitivities of the project area, potentially significant impacts of the proposed project and plans for their mitigation. Detailed information on the environmental and socio-economic settings of the project area, components and activities of the proposed project and the results of the environmental and social impact assessment studies are presented in the body of the report.

1.1 Project Objectives and Description

The Egyptian National Railways (ENR) is currently developing a 2007 to 2011 modernization investment program, which will finance improvement of signalling and telecommunications facilities and replacing certain sectors of the tracks in Upper and Lower Egypt. A comprehensive study was undertaken in 2006 to define the strategy and scope for the required modernization. The proposed project, which is covered by this ESIA has been developed on the basis of that strategy. It consists of the following two components:

Component 1: Modernizing the signaling system on the Arab El Raml - Alexandria Line and creating a Central Traffic Control Center in Tanta (Fig. 1).

This component of the project consists of modernization of basic elements of the signalling systems. It includes introducing a modern Electronic Interlocking System (EIS) to replace the existing electromechanical system. The component also includes the upgrading of Central Traffic Management Center in Tanta, which will control the operation of the entire line. The Tanta Traffic Control Tower will be linked with 11 dispatcher towers along the line (including four new towers) through a network of optic fibers for transmission of telecommunication signals. The new, computerized CTC



facility will be provided with two 11 kV power supply units, with auxiliary diesel generators and UPS for all control towers of the line.

The system will include the modernization of automated counter flow junctions and signaling. It will also include the automation of level crossings to improve the safety and operation efficiency through the introduction of automatic, visual and audio signaling and gate operation and an automatic train approach control system.

Communication and power cables will run parallel to the tracks and no less than two meter on either side. The cables will be placed at least one meter below the ground surface. The process for laying the cables will be largely automated and highly efficient requiring only limited interruption in the operation of the line and its facilities. Cables will also run under water to cross the Nile and Major irrigation canals at five locations.

Project component 2: Replacing 200 km of the tracks in Upper and Lower Egypt (Fig. 1).

Track sections to be replaced are sections of the Banha – El Zagazig line in Lower Egypt (23.9 km westbound and 27.3 km eastbound) and 148.7 km in the different sections of the Cairo – High Dam Line in Upper Egypt. New tracks will consist of U.I.C 54 rails on pre-stressed concrete sleepers using the K-Type system and electrically insulated. A ballast embankment of basalt of at least 30 cm depth will be used. This layer will be mechanically packed to specifications.

1.2 Legal and Institutional Aspects

The Environmental and Social Impact Assessment for project is required to meet the legal and regulatory requirements of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA), and the World Bank on Environmental Assessment. The Egyptian Government has signed and ratified a number of international conventions on the environment, which are considered an integral part of the environmental legislative framework of Egypt.

1.2.1 Relevant Egyptian Legislations

Law number 4 of 1994, commonly known as the Law on Protection of the Environment is the most important element of the environmental legislations in Egypt. It is the main legal instrument dealing with environmental issues in Egypt, particularly the protection of the environment from pollution, and preserving it from deterioration. The executive regulations of Law 4 of 1994 define the permissible levels for air quality, water quality, noise, and solid waste management.

According to Article 1, the legal entity responsible for a given project is required to carry out an assessment of the project's potential impact on the natural and socio-cultural



environment before implementing that project. The findings of the assessment are submitted to the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency for review and approval before other relevant governmental authorities can issue their permits for implementing the project.

The type of environmental assessment for a given project depends on the nature of the project as well as the environmental and social settings of its influence area. According to Article 1 of the Executive regulations of Law 4, three types of environmental/social assessment are considered. Environmental Impact Assessment, which represents the highest level of detail for environmental assessments, is defined as the "studying and analyzing the environmental feasibility of proposed projects whose construction or activities might affect the safety of the environment". The Executive Regulations of Law 4 of 1994, state that "all infrastructure projects …. are among developments subject to environmental impact assessments" and define the requirements for the EIA. Accordingly, and following consultation with EEAA representatives, it was concluded that the ENRRP is treated as a "Black" project requiring a full ESIA.

The following are Articles of Law number 4 of 1994 that are expected to have relevance to the project

- Articles 42 of the law and 44 of its executive regulations on maximum permissible noise levels.

- Articles 40 of the law and 42 of its executive regulations on maximum permissible pollution levels resulting from burning fuel.

- Articles 36 of the law and 37 of its executive regulations on maximum permissible pollution levels in exhaust gases.

- Articles 35 of the law and 34 of its executive regulations on maximum permissible levels of pollutants in ambient air.

- Article 43 of the law on the necessary precautions to ensure a safe and healthy work environment.

- Article 32 of the law on handling of hazardous materials.

Other relevant legislations and regulations include

Several laws and decrees tackled occupational health and safety provisions at the work place. These laws and decrees apply to the work crew that will be involved in different construction activities. The following laws and decrees should be considered:

- Minister of Manpower Decree 48/1967



- Law 137/1981: Labour and Workforce Safety,

- Minister of Manpower Decree 55/1983,

- Minister of industry Decree 91/1985 for implementing Law 21/1985,

- Minister of Manpower Decree 116/1991, and

The Agricultural Law 53 of 1966, which is the main legislation protecting wildlife and specially birds. The law and its executive regulations which provide lists of legally protected wildlife species, will be the main legal reference for identifying the significance of potential impact of the project on wildlife.

The Prime Ministerial Decree 631 of 1982 establishing the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) as the competent body for environmental matters.

Law 48/1982 on the Protection of the Nile River and the Waterways from Pollution.

Law number 38 of 1967 amended by Law number 31 of 1976 and Law number 4 of 1994 on public cleanliness and collection and disposal of solid waste.

A number of international conventions signed by Egypt and ratified by the Egyptian parliament are relevant to the project as part of the national legislative framework. These are

- International Plant Protection Convention (Rome 1951). The convention includes measures for the protection of natural vegetation cover.

- African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (Algeria 1968) including threatened species of plants and animals and their natural habitats.

- Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitats (Ramsar, 1971). The convention identifies wetlands of international importance for resident and migratory birds. Some of the northern Delta lakes are among the wetland areas identified in the convention.

- UNESCO Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (Paris, 16 November 1972) including archeological sites.

- Convention for the Protection of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (Bonn, 1979). The convention covers migratory bird flights across Egypt in autumn and spring.

- Protocol Concerning Mediterranean Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity Convention (1992).

- United Nations framework convention on climate change (New York 1992). The convention covers measures to control greenhouse gas emissions from different sources including transportation.



Convention on biological diversity (Rio de Janeiro 1992), which covers the conservation of habitats, animal and plant species, and intraspecific diversity.

1.2.2 Relevant World Bank Policies

A project considered for finance by the World Bank is screened to determine the extent of Environmental Assessment it requires. The project is assigned to one of four project categories requiring different levels of environmental assessments, depending on its type, location, and the significance of its potential environmental impacts. As indicated in the Terms of Reference provided by the Client, the Egyptian National Railway Re-construction Project is considered a Category B project. The environmental assessment studies summarized in this report follow the guidelines stipulated in the World Bank’s Operational Policies (OP 4.01) on Environmental Assessment for Category B projects.

1.3 Analysis of Alternatives

Two levels of analysis of alternatives have been undertaken for each project component. First a scenario of two alternatives is considered; project implementation alternative and the no action alternative. The two alternatives were analyzed and discussed in the two public consultation meetin. At the second level of analysis, the preferred alternative is subjected to further analysis of alternatives. In this analysis the relative environmental and social merits of elements and activities of the selected project alternative are considered. These alternatives are evaluated and compared, and the optimal one selected. These may include alternative designs, construction methods, building material, and management systems, as appropriate.

Alternative 1: No action.

To continue operating the Cairo – Alexandria line with the existing signaling system, with its frequent breakdowns and inefficient operational capabilities places a major additional burden on the ENR's efforts to improve its services to the public and to overcome its major financial difficulties. Many of the present financial difficulties also stem from the frequent breakdowns of the existing systems, and the resulting uneconomical use of the lines and its equipment. It is expected that difficulties facing ENR will grow worse if not addressed now and will become more difficult and more costly to resolve without the implementation of the proposed project. Without the project, the railway service on the Cairo – Alexandria line will further deteriorate affecting the millions of users of that vital line.



For Component 2 of the project, the no action alternative is not an option. All track sections identified in the project should be replaced. Further deterioration in these sections will involve a great operation risk that ENR is and should not take.

Alternative 2: Implementation of the proposed project (Components 1 and 2).

The project will provide the badly needed modernization and replacement of elements of the outdated electromechanical signaling system along this most important railway line in the Egyptian railway network. The implementation of the project will benefit the very large number of users of that line, which averages of close to 120 million passengers per year according to ENR statistics. Once completed, the project will improve the railway service of the Cairo – Alexandria Line considerably. Positive impacts of the project on the railway service include the following:

- Improved train operation safety.

- Improved operation safety of level crossings.

- Reducing trip time as a result of increased train travel speed,

- Will allow more trains to safely use the line per unit time, and will reduce operational delays.

- Enhanced comfort as a result of smoother train movement and reduced noise levels.

Although the economic cost of the proposed project is relatively high, the ENR that the modernization of the existing, outdated system is highly justifiable to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the railway service along that line. On the other hand, the ENR sees the modernization of the signaling system as an inevitable action that has to be undertaken sooner or latter. The operation of the highly efficient modern system will also reduce cost of operation per traffic unit and will contribute to the ENR's efforts to reduce loses and increase revenue generating potential.

A number of negative impacts are expected during the construction phase of the project. These impacts are all temporary in nature, lasting only during the construction process and can be readily mitigated or tolerated.

The replacement of track sections is a necessary procedure in the normal maintenance of railway lines. According to ENR representatives and railway experts, the replacement of some of the sections is long overdue. As a precautionary measure, the ENR operates the trains at slower speeds in track sections based on their conditions. This often results in longer trip times and considerable delays, particularly when large sections of the tracks are in poor conditions as is the case of the Cairo – High Dam and the Banha – Zagazig lines. The adoption of the slow train travel speed tactics along the deteriorating lines adversely affect the economics of the use of the line as fewer trains can use it per unit



time. Replacing the sections will allow the trains to operate at the track design speed and hence a more efficient use of the tracks by allowing more trains to use the tracks per day. It will also contribute to allowing passengers, faster, safer, less noisy and more comfortable train service. Replacing track sections is an absolute necessity that is unavoidable in the normal operations of any railway system.

Adverse, but temporary impacts are expected to occur during the construction process. Most of these impacts can be mitigated, and the expected improvement in the rail service as a result of the proposed project greatly outweigh any expected residual impacts

Project elements and activities that are expected to result in these negative impacts are herein considered in terms of possible alternatives.

1. Construction scheduling:

Alternative a: Work to proceeded on several sites in parallel to reduce the total construction time.

According to this alternative, construction activities will be scheduled to allow working in parallel on several elements of this activity along the entire line. While this will shorten the total construction time and minimize the duration of adverse impact associated with these activities, it may considerably intensify the severity of some of the expected impacts. For instance, train delays as a result of reducing speed at several construction areas will be one of the negative aspects of this alternative.

Alternative b: Construction work to proceed on fewer sites in parallel to reduce intensity of construction-related impacts.

This alternative will restrict construction activities to small sector of the corridor at any given time, thus reducing the negative impacts of construction considerably. It will however, extend the duration required to complete the project.

Alternative c: Construction work to proceed intensively on predefined, relatively large "construction sectors" of the line, one at a time, to minimize generalized impacts and to allow their better management.

This alternative calls for dividing the Arab El Raml – Alexandria line into small number of "construction sectors" and to implement all construction activities in each sector at the same time before starting in a new sector. Concentrating all construction activities at each of these sectors will restrict most of the adverse impacts to smaller, more manageable section, allowing better management of these impacts. As most of the train delays will be caused by the de-acceleration and acceleration of trains approaching and leaving a construction area, larger construction sectors of the corridor will result in shorter delays than several, smaller construction sites scattered along the length of the



line. The definition of the construction sectors can take into account the fact that a delay of about 30 minutes in the Cairo – Alexandria trip time was perceived as acceptable by most of the users of that line.

2. Transportation of construction material and waste.

Alternative a: Construction material and waste will mostly transported using trucks.

This will contribute to traffic congestion problems particularly in areas close to construction sites.

Alternative b: Construction material and waste will mostly transported using trains as much as practically possible.

This will mitigate potential traffic problems that might be caused by using trucks. Material may be transported from point of origin to nearest railway terminal equipped for loading and unloading of such material. It will then be transported by trains to or from construction sites.

3. Track installation.

Alternative a: Standard, 18 m track sectors will be transported on flat train cars from central ENR warehouses to construction sites, laid and welded in place.

This alternative will allow easier handling of the rails but will generate more pollution during the extensive welding process. The process of track installation will require more, on-site working time.

Alternative b: Rail assembling and welding into 250 m segments will be undertaken in ENR's workshop.

The long segments of pre-welded, pre-shaped rails will be transported to installation sites on flat train cars. Installation will require less time on construction site, and hence less delay in train operation. Less welding will be done at the construction sites, reducing potential for hazardous emissions.

1.4 Significant Impacts 1.4.1 Socio-economic impact

An initial impact screening process was undertaken as part of the social impact assessment. The process identified three target groups that might experience substantial socio-economic impacts as a result of the project.

- Train users



- Local residents of communities adjacent to the train corridor

- Frequent users of level crossings

After identifying the potentially impacted populations, the fieldwork was conducted in three governorates namely, Beni Suief, Minya and Cairo. Different tools were utilized in the selected governorates in order to solicit information regarding the socio-economic impacts of the project’s interventions. Accordingly, field surveys, as well as public consultation sessions were employed with different target groups.

A sample of 1166 respondents including representatives of the three target groups of rain passengers, local residents and level crossing users were randomly selected. Survey results provided quantitative information pertaining to the number of respondents that are affected by the project components and activities. The sample was selected from two villages in Beni Suief (Tazmant and Al-Kafour); and three villages in Minya (Bani Mazar, Al Mawada, and Maghagha) and the city of Cairo.

On the other hand, two public consultation meetings were held in Minya (112 participants) and Cairo (72 participants). Participants of public consultation sessions represented civil society, government officials and other stakeholders. Public consultation sessions offered qualitative information regarding the ways in which respondents are affected as well as their suggestions for mitigating the negative impacts. The findings outlined below are based upon the results of the field survey as well as that of the stakeholders meetings and the two public consultation meetings. 1.4.1.1 Local residents of communities adjacent to the train corridor Local residents’ reactions towards potential impacts associated with the construction phases varied according to the proximity of their residence or place of work to the railway corridor. This distance ranged in the survey sample between a maximum of 800 meters and a minimum of 100 meters. A sample of 816 representing rural and urban areas was used. While close to 58% of the respondents expressed their concern about the possibility of experiencing unacceptably high noise level during construction work, the remaining 42% of the respondents either though that they can tolerate the high noise level or were not at all concerned about it. Out of those concerned about the noise, 38% felt that excessive noise can hinder ability to concentrate (e.g. during studying, working or even watching television) and 47% expected to sleeping disturbance. Few individuals living immediately next to the railway corridor complained about the excessive noise generated by passing trains and particularly, what they considered the unnecessary and excessive use of the train siren while passing through cities. A number of these local residents also complained that the uploading and mechanical shaking and sifting of ballast gravel of basaltic fragments during ballast replacement work, generates



unbearable noise. It was generally clear, therefore, that excessive noise associated with different construction activities is one of the main impacts that should be mitigated. For most respondents, construction noise becomes a major nuisance if it occurs at night. Fewer people were concerned about the possibility of the possible generation of dust and other air pollutants (including noxious fumes generated during asphalting work) during some of the construction activities.

1.4.1.2 Train Users:

Close to three hundred passengers responded to the survey questionnaire. Passengers were selected from two trains namely, train number 935, which serves the Sohag to Alexandria route; and train number 990, which serves Minya to Luxor.

Out of the responding passenger sample, 52% used trains for frequent business-related travel, 29% used it for irregular personal travel, and 19% for other purposes. Out of the all the respondents, only 1% use the train for daily commuting to work, 20% use it once a week, 16% once every two months, 45% once a month and 18% less frequently than once a month. In addition, 57% of responding passengers spend between three to six hours on their train journey, while 43% spend between seven to twelve hours on the train. Of all respondents, 19% considered their journey duration acceptable, while 72% considered it too long journey.

With regards to respondents’ reactions towards the effect of the expected delays due to construction work, 75% expressed their willingness to accept the delay as a temporary incontinence that is outweighed by the benefit associated with the modernization of the railway lines and services. On the other hand, 20% of the respondents felt that construction delays are unacceptable, but will still use the train. Close to 3% of the respondents, considered the expected delays unacceptable, stating that they will have to use other modes of transportation during the construction period. The remaining 2% identified other options.

Among those we expect to be forced to use other modes of transportation, 29% were concerned about the higher cost of alternative transportation modes and its implications on family budgets. Very few individuals also expected some salary deduction due to being late for work; or excessive frustrations due to the lengthy train trips.

1.4.1.3 Level Crossing Users:

Level crossing users (vehicle passengers and drivers, and pedestrians) were similarly interviewed to solicit their reactions towards the project. Out of the 1199 respondents, 95% use the level crossing on a daily basis, while 5% used less than once a week.



Alternatives for the level crossing users were not available for all respondents. Only 40% mentioned that they can identify and resort to nearby alternatives, whilst 60% stated that other available crossings are too far away for their use. On the other hand, 93% of the respondents accepted to resort to alternative crossings during the construction period compared to 5% who disagreed to resort to alternative (apparently to resort to illegal crossing of the tracks). Drivers and passengers of vehicles frequently using the level crossing often expected traffic problems when level crossing become partly or totally closed during construction. Certain level crossings are already heavily congested. Closing these crossings, partly or totally, even for a short period of time is expected to result in some traffic flow problems that require careful planning to mitigate.

1.4.2 Noise, Air Quality and Water Quality

Levels of noise and air pollutants along the railway tracks are expected to vary considerably from one area to another along the hundreds of kilometres of railway corridors covered by this project. These values are also expected to change during different seasons and times of day. In certain areas the ambient levels of noise and air pollutants exceed national permissible standards. It is expected, however, that noise generated during certain construction activities will exceed permissible levels. Similarly, certain construction activities (e.g. welding, asphalting, excavation of foundations and cable trenches, etc.) are expected to generate some air pollutants. These impacts will also affect people in communities adjacent to the railway corridor as well as construction crews. Although these impacts are all temporary in nature, occurring only during the actual construction work, which will mostly be undertaken mostly for a few hours to few days at any given site, mitigation measures are considered to be necessary.

It should be noted, however, that because of the very large area covered by the project and the extremely varied environmental conditions along the railway lines, a sufficiently comprehensive assessment of baseline conditions regarding these parameters was not possible. It was decided, therefore, that national noise, air quality and surface water standards stipulated in the executive regulations of Law number 4 of 1994 would be used as the baseline values against which project-caused changes in levels of noise and air quality should be measured. Accordingly, noise generation and polluting emissions that are likely to exceed the national allowable standards, or if seen by the relevant community groups as a potential hazard, should be addressed in the mitigation and monitoring plans.



1.4.3 Surface Water

Underwater cables will cross the Rosetta Branch of the Nile River at Kafr El Zayat, and at four major irrigation canals. The insulated cables will be placed in a water-tight PVC pipe before laying on the bottom. The pipe will be anchored to the river bottom using pre-cured cement blocks. The process is unlikely to result in any water contamination and does not seem to be likely to impact any of the elements of the aquatic ecosystems of these water courses.

1.4.4 Biodiversity Habitats along the railway corridors covered in this project are all man made and none is not considered threatened in any way. Wildlife of the Nile Delta and Valley is among the most diverse of any of the terrestrial habitat in the country. This wildlife consists mainly of species that are able to tolerate human activities and manage to survive in the habitats he created. The railroad corridor is part of the man-made landscape and will continue to be so after the implementation of the modernization project. There is no indication that construction work and subsequent operation of the lines after completion of the project will have any irreversible, or significant adverse impacts on wildlife and habitats in areas adjacent to these lines. 1.6 Public Consultation

Two consultation meetings were held; one in Minya, Minya Governorate and the second in Cairo. The two meetings were advertised in a major newspaper (Annex 1) and the public at large was invited to attend the meetings to discuss different aspects of the project and its expected positive and negative impacts. Figure 1 shows the attendance structure of these two workshops. Information on the project as well as a summary of the findings of the ESIA were posted on EQI's website for public review prior to the consultation meetings.

The meetings attracted a pool of stakeholders representing different sectors of the society, including social and economic class, gender, and affiliations. Table 4 summarizes main issues and concerns raised during the two public meetings.



Figure 1. Geographical locations of Project Components 1 and 2.



1.5 Environmental Management Plan

Table 1. Institutional strengthening and training for implementation requirements

Responsibilities Institutional Strengthening Activity

Position(s)

Implementation Supervision

Cost Estimates (LE)

Establishing the Environmental Affairs Directorate (EAD) of the ENR.

Director Environmental Engineer/Manager Environmental Specialist Environmental Specialist

Institutional capacity building consultant

- ENR Management 150,000

Training of EAD staff Director Environmental Engineer/Manager Environmental Specialist Environmental Specialist

Training and environmental consultant


Environmental awareness ENR general staff EAD site inspectors

Public awareness and environmental consultant


Training of environmental inspectors

Staff of different ENR departments and operations regions





Table 2. Potential environmental and social impacts of the project activities during the construction and operation phases and their proposed mitigation measures.

Institutional Responsibilities

Project Activity Potential Environmental /Social Impacts

Proposed Mitigation Measures

Enforcement Coordination

Cost Estimates

(LE)

Comments

Construction Phase Construction activities at areas accessible to the public.

Safety risk to the public at or near construction sites.

- Construction sites closed to the public.

Contractor EAD ENR

To be covered as part of the construction cost

- Installation of communication and power cables, block systems, interlocking equipment, track-side signals, automated level crossing systems and signaling equipment

- Excavation work - Removal of old cables - Disposal of old cables - Installation of optic

fibers cables - Installation of power

cables - Storage and disposal of

construction solid waste

Dust and noise generation from construction activities, vehicles and equipment

- Excavation and construction material should be covered to minimize spillage and dust generation. - Vehicles delivering construction material or waste to, or from the work sites, should be covered to avoid material spillage. - Vehicles uploading material should maintain the lowest possible fall height to reduce noise and dust generation. - All construction activities should be carried out during the day time to minimize noise disturbance to communities near work sites. - Workers exposed to noise exceeding permissible levels should wear hearing protection. - No exposed, hot power cables should be left unattended at any time. - Construction waste should be disposed of at dumpsites designated by local governments

Contractor -ENR -EAD -Third party construction supervision




Table 2, continued

Institutional

Responsibilities

Project Activity Potential Environmental

and Social Impacts



Cost Estimates

(LE)

Comments

Construction Phase, continued - Construction of new dispatcher towers and renovation of existing dispatcher towers and the CTC building in Tanta

- Dust and noise generation from construction activities, vehicles and equipment - Hazardous emissions (e.g. asphalting), operation of vehicles and other equipment)

- Construction material and waste should be covered to minimize generation of dust. - Vehicles delivering construction material to, or removing construction waste should be covered to avoid material spillage and dust generation. - Fall height for truck downloading of construction sand and other material shall be minimized to reduce noise and dust generation. - All construction activities should be carried out during the daylight hours to minimize noise disturbance to communities near work sites.. - Workers exposed to noise exceeding permissible levels should use hearing protection. - Storage of construction material should be allowed on ENR's storage yards in a way that will not affect traffic or pose any risk to communities adjacent to the railway corridors.





Table 2, continued

Institutional

Responsibilities


and Social Impacts



Cost Estimates

(LE)

Comments

Construction Phase, continued - Removal and transportation of old tracks (rails, sleepers, contaminated ballast basalt). - Transportation and installation of tracks (rails, concrete sleepers, ballast basalt), and compacting of embankment.

- Noise and dust generation. - Hazardous emissions (e.g. fumes from rail welding and operation of vehicles and other equipment). Risk to public safety at construction sites.

- Noise levels and frequency of incidence should be kept below permissible level as much as feasible, with noisy activities to be restricted to day time. - Old rails, wooden sleepers, and other reusable track components should be stored only at proper storage ENR yards. - No ballast basalt shaking should be allowed at the construction sites. - Old, often contaminated ballast basalt should be removed to a government designated dumpsite for disposal or for decontamination for future use. - Transportation of old ballast should be only in covered tracks to avoid spillage. - Construction sites should be closed to the public.





Table 2, continued

Institutional

Responsibilities


and Social Impacts



Cost Estimates

(LE)

Comments

Construction Phase, continued Reduction of train speed at work sites

- Longer train trip time - Unexpected train delays

- Construction scheduling should be negotiated with the contractors to minimize train delays. - Train re-scheduling should be undertaken taking into account the expected delays and showing new departure and arrival times during the construction work - A plan for making alternative means of transportation available in case of significant train delay should be developed and implemented.

ENR Contractor

- MoT - ENR - EAD


- Some train users may become forced to use other, more costly mode of transportation. - Shifting to other transportation modes will reduce the number of train passengers, reducing demand on goods and services offered by businesses in the vicinity of train stations.



Table 2, continued

Institutional

Responsibilities


and Social Impacts



Cost Estimates

(LE)

Comments

Construction Phase, continued - Construction at level crossings (Partial or complete closure of the crossing to pedestrian and vehicle traffic)

Increased traffic congestion at certain level crossings - Interrupting normal movement of people and goods. - Increased illegal track crossing.

- Work should be so planned as to avoid the complete blockage of level crossing, as much as practical. - Concentrating work in level crossings during times of reduced traffic, possibly during the night, as long as noise level can be kept at an acceptable level. - In cases where a level crossing has to be completely closed during construction, an alternative crossing should be identified and advertised to the public in advance. Traffic detours will have to clearly marked and provided with proper direction signage for incoming traffic. - Law enforcement authorities (Traffic Police) should take charge of controlling vehicular and pedestrian traffic flow and preventing illegal track crossings

Contractor ENR

- EAD - Local law enforcement authorities (Traffic Police)


- Traffic congestion or reduced traffic flow in areas leading to or from level crossings. This, in turn, will temporarily increase noise and air pollution with vehicle emission of slow moving vehicles. - Delay to work



Table 2, continued

Institutional

Responsibilities


and Social Impacts



Cost Estimates

(LE)

Comments

Operation and Maintenance Phase Accidents due to inadequate traffic and pedestrian control at level crossings.

Improving control of traffic and pedestrian crossing at level crossings.

EAD

Railway Police

Traffic Police

ENR

_ Training of operators of trains and signaling system

Repair of protective railway corridor walls in densely populated area.

EAD ENR Should be covered as part of the project contract

Operation and maintenance of trains at increased travel speeds.

Accidents due to illegal pedestrian crossing

A public awareness campaign on railway safety,

EAD ENR 600,000 The campaign should be implemented in parallel with the construction phase of the project.

Operation and maintenance of automated signaling system

None _ EAD ENR To be covered as part of the project contract

Training of operators of trains and signaling system

Operation of track line None _ EAD ENR To be covered as part of the project contract




Table 3. Monitoring plan.

Responsibilities

Proposed Mitigation Measure

Parameters to be Monitored

Location Measurements

Frequency of Measurement

Implementation Reporting

Cost (LE)

Construction Phase - Measures for minimizing dust generation. - Measures for minimizing noise generation (including disallowing ballast sifting at the site). - Proper storage of construction material and dismantled track components - Measures for safe disposal of solid waste (including old ballast basalt). - Daily work schedule - Measures to protect work environment - Construction site is closed to the public

Check - application of dust suppression measures - application of noise suppression measures - application of workers' health and safety procedures, including closing the site to the public. - adherence to work schedule - disposal of construction waste practice. - complaints of noise, dust or other air pollution recorded and validated

Construction sites

- Health and safety inspection protocol - Review weekly logs of complaints of noise, dust and other air pollution

Weekly

- Contractor - EAD site inspectors

- EAD - ENR

- Training EAD staff (120,000) - Training EAD site inspectors (250,000) - Institutional capacity building consultant's fees (150,000)

Construction scheduling to minimize train delays

Adherence to construction schedule

Construction sites

Adherence to schedule

Bi-monthly - Contractor - EAD site inspectors

- EAD - ENR

_



Table 3, continued

Responsibilities



Location Measurements Frequency of Measurement


Cost (LE)

Construction Phase, continued Train re-scheduling during construction work

Revised train schedule announced and applied

Train stations - Train delays - Passengers' complaints recorded

Bi-monthly - EAD site inspectors

- EAD - ENR

_

- Alternative means of transportation developed and implemented

Availability and cost of alternative transportation

Selected population centers (e.g. Cairo, Tanta, Assuit)

- Transportation cost - Average trip time - Passengers' complaints recorded

Bi-monthly EAD site inspectors

- EAD - ENR

_

Planning construction work on level crossings to - avoid complete crossing blockage. - concentrate work during times of reduced traffic. - assign alternative crossing routes. - Law enforcement authorities (Traffic Police) should take charge of controlling vehicular and pedestrian traffic flow and preventing illegal track crossings

- Traffic flow across level crossings and their vicinity.

- Selected level crossings and population centers.

Extent of traffic congestion at crossings. Complaints of crossing users and other citizens recorded.

Daily at construction

sites

- Contractor - EAD Site Inspectors

- EAD - ENR - relevant traffic department

_



Table 3, continued

Responsibilities





Cost (LE)

Operation Phase Improving control of traffic and pedestrian crossing at level crossings.

Management of traffic and pedestrian crossing at level crossings.

Level crossings along the two project lines

Control and safety aspects

Every three months

EAD ENR -


Conditions of railway corridor walls

Densely populated areas along the two project lines

- Every three months

EAD ENR -


Frequency of illegal crossing at formal and informal crossing sites.

Selected sample level crossings and informal crossing sites.


EAD ENR -



Public Consultation Meeting in Cairo

4% 1% 6%

83%

6%

Railway representatives Local government representativesConsultants General publicNGOs

Public Consultation Meeting in Miniya

4% 4% 5%

65%

22%

Railway representatives Local government representativesConsultants General publicNGOs

Figure 2. Attendance structure of Public Consultation Meetings held in Cairo (72 attendants) and Minya (112 attendants).



Table 4. Summary of concerns and issues raised during the consultation meetings.

Concerns and Issues raised Incorporation in the assessment Whether proposed modernization of the signaling system or replacing the tracks would really improve the railway service as other components such the passenger cars, engines and passenger service are in extremely poor conditions

The project was clearly introduced as a part of a larger modernization scheme that will cover all the services of the ENR.

Training of train drivers and operators will be crucial for the proper operation of the new system. Has training been planned as part of the project

ENR representative declared that training on the use and operation of the new system is part of the projct.

Construction waste may cause pollution of areas adjacent to the railway corridor, including the Ibrahimiya Canal (the Upper Egypt Line).

Measures to mitigate potential pollution resulting from construction waste have been included in the EIA report.

The duration of the proposed project is not clear. People's willingness to tolerate negative impacts or inconveniences will not continue if these inconveniences remain for too long.

The issue of planning and scheduling construction activities that are expected to have negative impacts has been addressed in the Environmental Management Plan.

Would the project in any way lead to the termination of the service now offered by the slow, third class trains? Are there plans to increase the fairs for the generally poor users of these trains?

ENR expert stated that third class trains will not be cancelled, but increasing the fairs for passengers using these trains cannot be ruled out.

Will there be an alternative to the train once there is a delay/construction?

Making available some kind of alternative transportation in cases of significant train delay during construction activities has been added as a mitigation measure.

How would the project deal with traffic problems when heavily used level crossings are completely or partly closed due to construction activities.

Mitigation measures to deal with traffic problems have been covered in the mitigation plans.

Construction work on the railway corridor will result in the generation of noise and hazardous fumes that will affect residents close to the work area.

Measures to mitigate the potential impacts due to excessive noise and emission of potentially hazardous fumes have been included in the EIA's mitigation plan.



Table 4, continued

Concerns and Issues raised Incorporation in the assessment A campaign to raise awareness of train users to reduce the comm. vandalism and theft of train equipment is needed.

A public awareness campaign has been suggested as a component of the EMP.

Train delays due to construction work can be better tolerated if a new train schedule is prepared, with the expected delay included and properly announced to the users.

This issue has been included among the suggested mitigation measures in the EIA.



2.0 POLICY, LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK

The Environmental/Social Impact Assessment for the Egyptian National Railways Restructuring Project is required to meet the legal and regulatory requirements of the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA), and the World Bank’s Operational Policies (OP 4.01) on Environmental Assessment. Furthermore, the Egyptian Government has signed and ratified a number of international conventions on the environment. These conventions are, therefore, considered an integral part of the environmental legislative framework of Egypt.

2.1 Relevant Egyptian Laws and Regulations

The most important element of the environmental legislations in Egypt is Law 4 of 1994; the Law on Protection of the Environment. The law is the main legal instrument dealing with environmental issues in Egypt, particularly the protection of the environment from pollution, and preserving it from deterioration. The Prime Ministerial Decree number 631 of 1982 established the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) as the competent body for environmental matters in Egypt. Law number 4 also stipulates the role of the EEAA as the main regulatory agency for environmental matters.

According to Article 1, the legal entity responsible for a given project is required to carry out an assessment of the project's potential impact on the natural and socio-cultural environment before implementing that project. The findings of the assessment are submitted to the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency for review and approval before other relevant governmental authorities can issue their permits for implementing the project.

The type of environmental assessment for a given project depends on the nature of the project as well as the environmental and social settings of its influence area. According to Article 1 of the Executive regulations of Law 4, three types of environmental/social assessment, representing different levels of detail are considered. Environmental Impact Assessment, which represents the highest level of detail for assessments, is defined as the "studying and analyzing the environmental feasibility of proposed projects whose construction or activities might affect the safety of the environment". The Executive Regulations of Law 4 of 1994, also state that "all infrastructure projects …. are among developments subject to environmental impact assessments" and define the requirements for the EIA. Accordingly, and following consultation with EEAA representatives, it was concluded that the ENRRP is treated as a "Black" project requiring a full ESIA.



The following are Articles of Law number 4 of 1994 that are expected to have relevance to the project

- Articles 42 of the law and 44 of its executive regulations on maximum permissible noise levels.

- Articles 40 of the law and 42 of its executive regulations on maximum permissible pollution levels resulting from burning fuel.

- Articles 36 of the law and 37 of its executive regulations on maximum permissible pollution levels in exhaust gases.

- Articles 35 of the law and 34 of its executive regulations on maximum permissible levels of pollutants in ambient air.

- Article 43 of the law on the necessary precautions to ensure a safe and healthy work environment.

- Article 32 of the law on handling of hazardous materials.

Law 4 of 1994 and its executive regulations define the permissible levels for air quality, water quality, noise, and solid waste management. According to article 1.1 of the Environmental Law number 4 of 1994, environment is defined as: “The biosphere which encompasses living organisms together with the substances it contains and the air, water and soil that surround it, as well as the establishments set up by man”. According to that law, environmental pollution, degradation, and protection are defined as follows:

Environmental Pollution:

Any change in environmental properties which may result directly or indirectly in harming living organisms or establishments or in affecting the ability of people to lead a normal life. Article 1.7

Environmental Degradation:

Effect on the environment that reduces its value, or changes its nature, depletes its resources or harms living organisms or monuments. Article 1.8

Environmental Protection:

Protecting and promoting the components of the environment and preventing or reducing their degradation or pollution. These components encompass air, seas,



internal waters, including the river Nile, lakes and subterranean water, land, natural protectorates, and other natural resources. Article 1.9

Articles of Law number 4 of 1994 as well as several other relevant relevant legislations and regulations cover different elements of the physical environment as follows: Noise level

Articles 42 of the law and 44 of its executive regulations on maximum permissible noise levels. Article 42 of the Law 4 of 1994 requires that all organisations and individuals to maintain emanating sounds from different operating machinery or other sources below the permissible limits. Licensing authorities are to ensure that in a given area, the overall emanated sounds from fixed sources are within the allowable limits. In addition, licensing authorities are to ensure that machinery and equipments selected by establishments fulfil the law’s requirements.

Maximum permissible limits of sound intensity according to Annex 7 of the Executive Regulations specify that noise intensity during an eight-hour work shift shall not exceed 90 decibels. Maximum allowable noise intensity in different areas is shown in Table 5. In case the noise level surpasses the 90 dB (A) value, the exposure period has to be reduced according to Table 6. The criterion of the values set per the Executive Regulations is the protection of the sense of hearing.

Table 5. Maximum allowable noise intensity in different areas Permissible Limit for Noise

Intensity Decibel (A) Type of Area Day* Evening* Night* From To From To From To

Commercial, administrative and downtown areas

55 65 50 60 45 55

Residential areas in which can be found some workshops or commercial establishments or which are located on a main road

50 60 45 55 40 50

Residential areas in the city 45 55 40 50 35 45 Residential suburbs with low traffic 40 50 35 45 30 40 Residential rural areas, hospitals and gardens

35 45 30 40 25 35

Industrial areas (heavy industries) 60 70 55 65 50 60 *Day: from 7 am to 6 pm; Evening: from 6 pm to 10 pm; Night: from 10 pm to 7 am.



Table 6. Permissible exposure times to different sound intensities.

Noise intensity level decibel (a) 95 100 105 110 115 Period of exposure (hours) 4 2 1 1/2 1/4

The Executive Regulations of Law 4 of 1884 further requires the following:

During working hours, the instantaneous level of noise intensity shall be maintained below 135 dB.

In the case of the exposure to the intermittent noise (of a sledgehammer impact type), the number of permissible impacts – which depends on the generated noise intensity – has to be limited according to Table 7.

Table 7. Number of permissible intermittent impacts during the daily working hours

Noise intensity (Decibel) Number of permissible impacts 135 300 130 1000 125 3000 120 10000 115 30000

Air Quality

Articles 35 of the law and 34 of its executive regulations on maximum permissible levels of pollutants in ambient air. The national standards stipulated in Annex 5 of the Executive Regulations of Law 4 of 1994 for outdoor air pollution limits in terms of maximum permissible limits and exposure period are shown in Table 8.

Articles 40 of the law and 42 of its executive regulations define the maximum permissible pollution levels resulting from burning fuel. Articles 36 of the law and 37 of its executive regulations set the maximum permissible pollution levels in exhaust gases. Soil and Water pollution

Law 48/1982 on the Protection of the Nile River and the Waterways from Pollution is the main legal instrument for preventing pollution of inland surface water. It covers the River Nile, its branches, irrigation and drainage canals, and lakes. The law and its executive



regulations set the limits for water quality allowed to be discharged into these bodies of water.

Both Law 4/1994 and Laws 48 of 1982 provide specific stipulations regarding soil and groundwater contamination with the objective of preventing pollution of superficial and deep ground water resource as well as soil.

Table 8. Permissible outdoor air pollutants limits in microgram per cubic meter unless otherwise specified.

Pollutant Maximum Limit

Exposure Period

350 1 hr 150 24 hrs Sulphur Dioxide 60 1 year

30 mg/m3 1 hr Carbon Monoxide 10 mg/m3 8 hr

400 1 hr Nitrogen Dioxide 150 24 hrs 200 1 hr Ozone 120 8 hr 150 24 hrs Suspended Particles measured as black smoke 60 1 year

230 24 hrs Total Suspended Particles (TSP) 90 1 year

Respirable Particles (Pm 10) 70 24 hrs Lead 1 1 year

Biodiversity

The main law for protecting wildlife and natural habitats is Law number 102 of 1983 concerning Natural Protectorate. The law was created to allow the establishment of "Natural Protectorates" to protect areas of special natural attractions, natural landscape, natural habitats and wildlife. The Prime Ministerial Decree 1067/1983 designates the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) as the authorized administrative body charged with the implementation of law 102 of 1983.



In addition, the Agricultural Law 53 of 1966, which is the main legislation protecting wildlife and specially birds. The law and its executive regulations which provide lists of legally protected wildlife species, will be the main legal reference for identifying the significance of potential impact of the project on wildlife.

Work Environment

Several laws and decrees tackle occupational health and safety provisions at the work place. These laws and decrees apply to the work crew that will be involved in different construction activities. The following laws and decrees should be considered:

- Minister of Manpower Decree 48/1967.

- Law 137/1981: Labour and Workforce Safety.


- Minister of industry Decree 91/1985 for implementing Law 21/1985.


- Article 43 of Law number 4 on the necessary precautions to ensure a safe and healthy work environment.

Waste Management

Law number 38 of 1967 amended by Law number 31 of 1976 and Law number 4 of 1994 on public cleanliness and collection and disposal of solid waste control the collection and disposal of solid waste. Article 32 of the law provides the regulatory framework for the handling of hazardous materials, including hazardous waste.

Egypt has signed and ratified a number of international conventions that commit the country to conservation of biological resources. The following is a list of conventions that are somewhat relevant to this project:

- International Plant Protection Convention (Rome 1951). The convention includes measures for the protection of natural vegetation cover.

- African Convention on the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (Algeria 1968) including threatened species of plants and animals and their natural habitats.

- Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitats (Ramsar, 1971). The convention identifies wetlands of international



importance for resident and migratory birds. Some of the northern Delta lakes are among the wetland areas identified in the convention.

- UNESCO Convention for the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (Paris, 16 November 1972) including archeological sites.

- Convention for the Protection of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (Bonn, 1979). The convention covers migratory bird flights across Egypt in autumn and spring.

- Protocol Concerning Mediterranean Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity Convention (1992).

- United Nations framework convention on climate change (New York 1992). The convention covers measures to control greenhouse gas emissions from different sources including transportation.

- Convention on biological diversity (Rio de Janeiro 1992), which covers the conservation of habitats, animal and plant species, and intraspecific diversity.

2.2 Relevant World Bank Policies

A project considered for finance by the World Bank is screened to determine the extent of Environmental Assessment it requires. The project is assigned to one of four project categories requiring different levels of environmental assessments, depending on its type, location, and the significance of its potential environmental impacts. As indicated in the Terms of Reference provided by the Client, the Egyptian National Railway Re-construction Project is considered a Category B project. The environmental assessment studies summarized in this report follow the guidelines stipulated in the World Bank’s Operational Policies (OP 4.01) on Environmental Assessment for Category B projects.

2.3 Administrative framework

The Egyptian National Railways (ENR) is the legal entity responsible for all aspects of the design and implementation of the project and the subsequent operation of the modernized signaling system and the new track sectors. Environmental aspects of the project, including the implementation of the legally required environmental management and mitigation plans will the responsibility of the yet to be created Environmental Affairs Directorate (EAD) of the ENR. It is expected, however, that until EAD is established the ENR management will assign these tasks to other technical departments.

According to Law number 4 of 1994, the ESIA report should be submitted by the legal entity responsible for the project (ENR) to the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency for review and approval by before the ENR can proceeds with the construction avtivities



of the project. The EEAA may require some revisions in the ESIA report, including additional mitigation measures before issuing the approval of the report. It should be noted that once the ESIA has been approved, the mitigation plan as presented in the report will be considered an integral part of the project and the ENR will be legally responsible for the implementation of that plan.

Although most of the expected construction activities of the project will take place within the railway corridor and will not require prior permits from other authorities outside the ENR, work at level crossings may entail some traffic detours that will require coordination with relevant local authorities, particularly local Traffic Police of different governorates.



3.0 PROJECT OBJECTIVES AND DESCRIPTION 3.1 Background

Egypt has a well-developed transportation system with almost 64,000 km of roads, out of which 50,000 kms are paved. Egypt also has a well-developed network of bridges, flyovers and tunnels. Statistics for 2007 show that Egypt has 181 bridges, out of which 26 are built over the Nile and 85 are flyover bridges. The Egyptian subway system which became operational in 1987 links the three major governorates forming Greater Cairo: Cairo, Giza and Qalioubiya, and transports almost three million passengers daily.

Egypt has a total of 92 airports, out of which 71 have paved runways. In 2001, over 4 million passengers traveled locally and internationally through various Egyptian airports. Egypt also has 3,500 km of navigable canals and the riverboat service on the Nile is an additional vital mode of domestic transportation.1

The railroad system was established in 1852 and has since played a major role in transporting passengers and cargo throughout Egypt’s various governorates and districts. Statistics for 2007 show that Egypt has 135,000 km of tracks covering a distance of 9,528 km. There are 28 railway lines, 1,800 trains and 796 passenger stations. These lines transport an average of 60,000 million passengers/km per annum. The railway system also provides cargo services and transports 4,500 million ton/km per annum.2

The railway system of Egypt is operated by the Egyptian National Railways (ENR), a public authority under the Ministry of Transport. The network is very densely used, averaging around 11 million traffic units per km of line.

The government of Egypt's plan for improving the national transportation system includes the paving of 12,000 km of roads; establishing the third subway line; and encouraging public transportation companies expand their networks between the various governorates.

At the present time, the entire network is covered with a microwave telecommunication system allowing voice communications between dispatchers (located in ten regional traffic control centres) and train drivers, and between regional offices and the headquarters in Cairo. An electric color-light, Automatic Block Signaling System is installed on the following lines:

Cairo/Alexandria (208 Km, installed in 1980 and 1987).

1 www.nationencyclopidia.com/Africa/Egypt-TRANSPORTATION.html 2 Year Book (2007), Egypt State Information Service.



Giza/Beni Suef (125 Km, installed in 1990).

Cairo/Giza/Bortos (31 Km, installed in 1984).

Asyut/Sohag (90Km, installed in 1962 and modified for double track in 1990).

El Manashi/Etay El Baroud (122Km, installed in 1986.

Abu Qir line (19Km, installed in 1988).

Kobri El Limoun/El Tawdeeb (5Km, installed in 1998).

Qaliub/Shibin El Qanater (18Km, EIS system, under construction).

While most of the network operates by outdated mechanical traffic control systems, the following lines are equipped with Central Traffic Control systems:

Cairo/Qaluib.

Qaluib/Benha.

Cairo/Giza/Bortos.

El Manashi/Etay El Baroud.

Giza/Beni Suef.

In addition, certain sectors of the railway tracks in both Upper and Lower Egypt have been in service beyond their safe operation lifespan according to the ENR standards. The deteriorating conditions of the tracks in these sectors pose an operational risk that requires reducing train speed and their frequent repair needs contribute to train delays.

ENR is currently developing a 2007 to 2011 modernization investment program, which will finance improvement of signalling and telecommunications facilities and replacing certain sectors of the tracks in Upper and Lower Egypt. A comprehensive study was undertaken in 2006 to define the strategy and scope for the required modernization. The modernization scheme covered by this EIA is based on the recommendations of that strategy.

3.2 Project component 1

Modernizing the signaling system on the Arab El Raml - Alexandria Line and creating a Central Traffic Management Center in Tanta.

This component of the project consists of modernization of basic elements of the signalling systems covering the following components (Fig. 8 and Annex 2):



a) Automatic block signaling system,

b) Remote control of signaling equipment,

c) Electronic Interlocking Systems,

d) Level crossing protection system

e) Assembling of Cables and cabling equipments related with all signaling and telecommunication systems,

f) CTC computer based Command Center, including definition of non-proprietary “CTC interface protocol”

g) Diagnosis systems for all components,

h) Tests of system and put into service of the system (FAT and SAT),

i) Complete power supply system with SCADA (Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition) management system

j) Preventive maintenance (level 1, level 2 and level 3)

k) Training of operation and maintenance staff,

The following concepts and main requirements will be used for the elaboration of the preparation of the functional specifications and the preliminary design of the signaling system on Arab El Raml – Alexandria corridor:

- Signaling system, protection systems in level crossings, train and security brake systems to be established will be in conformity with 160 km/hour train speed;

- Signal system will be SSI (Solid State Interlocking) and will be designed in modular systems;

- CTC center and Local Command Console functions (command and monitoring, evaluation, presentation of train graph, information event recording system, dispatcher communication system, uninterrupted power supply, etc.);

- Main characteristics of track circuits (type of track circuits to be used, ballast impedance, detection of complete section rail broken) and of switch engines (mode of connection to interlocking to provide a safe locking, type of operating energy, manual operation included, etc.);

- Main characteristics of protection system of level crossing (UIC 760, 761, 762 standards, adjustable and synchronous informing time to be maintained according to train speed and / or train existence, lighted and noised warning devices to be used



in all level crossing protection systems, for level crossings determined by ENR barrier handled protection devices to be used, etc.);

- Energy of signal equipment between stations will be provided from uninterrupted power source;

- Energy of CTC and stations shall be provided from two independent sources. In case of interruption of the main power system, CTC and stations (vital functions) shall be fed by uninterrupted power source over buffer charged accumulators that can give steady energy

- Safety level shall be SIL 4 (Safety Integrity Level 4) as defined in IEC 61508 standard or equivalent. The safety level must be in the range of 1EXP9 hours for a MTBH (Mean Time Between Hazards);

- Main characteristics of communication cables (fiber optic option to be evaluated) and of signal cables will be described;

- Transmission and communication systems main characteristics to provide voice and data transmission on fiber-optic cable for telecommunication and signaling installations and computer systems;

- Diagnosis system for controlling the status of all components and reporting to the maintenance center;

Figure 3. An automatic interlocking unit just south of Tanta.



At the present time, there are seven dispatcher towers. Theses are the Tanta, Kafr El Zaiyat, Itay El Barude, Damanhour, Sidi Gabir, El Hadra and Alexandria towers. Four additional towers will be constructed in Qowesna, Birket El Sabh, Abu Homos and Kafr El Dawar. Figure 2 shows present and proposed dispatcher towers along the Arab El Raml – Alexandria line. The new, computerized train tracking system will be capable of tracking train by number, type, location, and speed and detecting delays and operation malfunctions. The system will also include the modernization of automated counter flow junctions and signaling. It is expected that locations for 14 of these counter flow interlockings will be selected for the final design of the system. Several automated traffic switches and turn outs will be installed. The new CTC facility will be provided with proper, automated, back-up systems. The system will operate with two 11 kV power supply units, with auxiliary diesel generators and UPS for all control towers of the line.

Figure 4.The Tanta Traffic Control Center.

The system will also include the automation of 53 level crossings (Annex 3) to enhance the safe and efficient operation of these vital elements of the railway line. This will include the introduction of automatic, visual and audio signaling and gate operation. The automated level crossing systems will also include the introduction of automatic train approach control systems. Draw bridges along the line (five bridges) will also be



equipped with automated signals to replace the existing electromechanical signaling system.

This component of the project will improve considerably the safety of operation of the Cairo – Alexandria Railway Line and is expected to reduce accidents caused by human error or failure of the existing, outdated signaling system. It is also expected to allow a much safer operation of the large number of level crossings along this line. As trains average travel speed is expected to increase following the operation of the new signaling system (maximum speed may be as high as 160 km/hour), accidents which cannot be completely eliminated will have much more destructive consequences. This is particularly true with the often lax control of traffic across level crossings and the frequent, illegal pedestrian crossing of the railway tracks.

Figure 5. A level crossing in a rural area.

Construction material for the CTC facility in Tanta and the four dispatchers towers are difficult to estimate on the basis of the information available from the client. It is pointless to try to estimate the quantities of construction material required for these building on the basis of the data available at this stage of the project with information on



exact locations, built areas and type of construction essentially lacking. Nevertheless, it is expected that construction material required for these small buildings will not constitute a factor that is likely to have any significant impact.

Construction waste is expected to be minimal in view of the nature of the work involved. According to the ENR engineers and the consultant responsible for the design of the signaling system, most of the excavated dirt during the process of construction of the power and communication cable trenches will be used for backfilling. The remaining part is expected to be removed by the contractor and disposed of at the official dump sites nearest to the construction site. The route and site for final disposal of construction waste will depend on the location of the construction site and the type of transportation used for moving that waste.

Figure 6. Traffic control panel. Tanta Traffic Control Center.

Heads of existing signal lights will be also be replaced with new heads that are visible at larger distances.

Communication and power cables will run parallel to the tracks and no less than two meter on either side. The cables will be placed at least one meter below the ground



surface. The process for laying the cables will be largely automated and highly efficient requiring only limited interruption in the operation of the line and its facilities.

The line crosses the Nile River and major irrigation canals at five locations that have draw bridges (Fig. 2). These are the bridges of

Birket El Sabh (km 67.900),

El Delgmone (km 101.550),

Kafr El Zaiyat (km 104.300),

El Tawfiqiya (km 109.850) and

Hagar El Notiya (200.900).

Figure 7. Kafr El Zaiyat Bridge.



Figure 8. The Cairo – Alexandria railway line (red line) and the Arab El Raml -Alexandria signaling system upgrading sector (blue line), showing the approximate locations of existing dispatcher towers ( ), proposed dispatcher towers ( ), draw bridges ( ) and the Tanta traffic control center ( ).



Communication and power cables crossing at these points will have to be submerged. The cables will run underwater through PVC or other type of piping that will be fixed to the river or canal bottom using heavy cement blocks. 3.3 Project component 2

Replacing 200 km of the tracks in Upper and Lower Egypt.

Track sections to be replaced through this component of the project are shown in Table 5. This includes sections of the Banha – El Zagazig line in Lower Egypt (23.9 km westbound and 27.3 km eastbound) and 148.7 km in the different sections of the Cairo – High Dam Line in Upper Egypt.

The existing tracks on the Banha – El Zagazig line are welded 54 kg/m, U.I.C 54 rails on concrete sleepers, installed between 1989 and 1990. In the Cairo – High Dam Line, existing tracks are welded, U.I.C. 54 rails on wooden or concrete sleepers installed between 1983 and 1988.

Figure 9. Railway corridor near Minya. Note Ibrahimiya canal on the right side of the photo.



The rails will be replaced in these sections with new U.I.C 54 rails on pre-stressed concrete sleepers using the K-Type system, and electrically insulated. Old tracks (rails, sleepers, etc.) will be removed and loaded on a train of flat cars to ENR storage yards for subsequent storage and disposal. New ballast of basalt gravel will be added to a depth of 30 cm. This layer will be mechanically packed according to the technical specifications until reaching the final designed level. The quantities of ballast basalt required for the replacement of the track sections has not been specified in the project material provided by the client. However, a simple calculation of the quantities required for the 200 kms of the track refers to about 200,000 cubic meters. The project document does not specify the expected source of that relatively large quantity of basalt. However, basalt quarries are found at several areas in the Egyptian desert and have been in use for centuries. The largest are the Abu Zahbal Quarries located just northeast of Cairo, which produce most of the basalt used in the Greater Cairo area. Officials of the ENR clearly stated that new basalt will be used for all construction work of this project.

The project material provided by the client does not indicate how construction waste will be disposed of. ENR engineers stated that the normal procedure for track replacement work include the transportation of old rails and sleepers using flat cars to the ENR storage yards to be subsequently sold..

Standard, 18 m rail sections or pre-welded tracks of 252 m length will be used. Assembly of track parcels (of 18 meters each) including fixing rails to sleepers, will be carried out at the assembly yards in Tanta and Minya. The track parcels will then be transported by an assembly train, equipped with flat cars to the installation site. Following the rail installation and the mechanical leveling and packing of the embankment to the design levels, trains will be allowed to run on the new tracks several times before the rails sections are welded in a pre-stressed position. Welding of the 18 or 252 meter rail segments will be carried out with the rails in place3. Rail welding ensures a smoother, less noisy train movement on the tracks.

3 The 252 m long rail sections are assembled from standard 18 m sections, welded in the ENR workshops and then transported to the installation site on a special train.



Table 9. Track lengths and locations to be replaced.

Railway line From (Line km/m)

To (Line km/m)

Distance

Banha – Zagazig 7/828 31/716 23.888 km – westbound Banha – Zagazig 1/100 29/148 27.348 km – eastbound Cairo-High Dam 104/930 126 21.070 km – southbound Cairo-High Dam 207/500 187/500 20.00 km – northbound Cairo-High Dam 467/500 528/500 61.00 km – southbound Cairo-High Dam 514/194 467/500 46.694 km – northbound

Figure 10 shows locations of north- and south-bound track sections to be replaced in the proposed project in Lower and Upper Egypt.

The replacement of these tracks sections is necessary for the safe operation of the Cairo – High Dam Railway Line. The present condition of the tracks in these sections represents an operational hazard to the trains and the adjacent communities. To minimize the potential hazard caused by these old track sections, the ENR adopts operation protocols that include reducing train speed at these sections, which in turn results in longer trip times and a considerably reduced total passenger capacity of the line. This project component, therefore, will alleviate this potential operational hazard and maximize the operation efficiency of the line.

Figure 10. a. Track replacement sections (blue) in the Banha – Zagazig line (red).

As train speed is expected to increase following the replacement of the old tracks, passing trains may represent a more significant hazard to the large number of people who



habitually cross the tracks illegally. This is particularly true at the old track sections where trains have run at very slow speeds for many years.

Figure 10. b. Track replacement sections (blue) in the Cairo – Bani Suef sector of the Cairo – High Dam line (red).

Figure 10. c. Track replacement sections (blue) in the Maghagha – Samalut sector of the Cairo – High Dam line (red).



Figure 10. d. Track replacement sections (blue) in the Abu Tig – El Baliana sector of the Cairo – High Dam line (red).

3.4 Additional required services, land and developments

No additional services such as water, electricity, emergency services etc have been identified in the project documents provided by the client. New and independent sources of electricity for the automation of the signaling system have been designed into the signaling modernization scheme. Backup power generation facilities have also been included in the design. Additional water and sanitary drainage will not be required for the upgrading of the CTC facility, which already has these services. No other elements of the project will require any additional infrastructure services that is not available in the present system.

All elements of both components of the project will be constructed on land own by ENR and within the railway track corridors or yards. The project does not require any new land acquestion for construction or operation activities. Similarly, no additional developments are required as a consequence of both components of the project.



4.0 BASELINE DATA

4.1 Geographical scope

4.1.1 Project component 1

Modernizing the signaling system on the Arab El Raml - Alexandria Line and creating a Central Traffic Management Center in Tanta.

This component of the project covers the railway line extending from Arab El Raml, just north of Banha to the main train station of Alexandria (Mahatet Masr). The line extends for a total of 165 km across central and western regions of the Nile Delta (Figure 11). It links the provisional towns of Benha, Tanta, Kafr El Zaiet, Damanhure, Kafr El Dawaar, and others. Throughout most of its route, the line runs parallel to the Cairo – Alexandria highway (Rural or Agricultural Highway) and passes by numerous villages and other small, rural settlements. Table 1 shows a list of Administrative Centers (Markaz) linked by the Cairo – Alexandria railway line and their respective governorates.

On its southern sector, the railroad runs northward east of the Damietta Branch of the Nile, crossing it at Banha. It takes a northwestern course across the central part of the Delta, crossing the Rosetta Branch of the Nile at Kafr El Zaiyat and continue its northwestern course to Alexandria. Along its course in the Delta, the railroad crosses and re-crosses several smaller water courses.

4.1.2 Project component 2

Renewing 200 km of track in Lower and Upper Egypt.

This component of the project covers two railway lines (Figure 12). One is the Banha – Zagazig line which extends beyond to serve the eastern and northeastern part of the Nile Delta and the Suez Canal region. The project covers the replacement of 50 km of the tracks between Banha and Zagazig. This sector of the line branches off the Cairo – Alexandria Line just as it exits Banha, to take an eastern course across the eastern Delta to Zagazig. The section covered by the project links Banha, the capital of the Governorate of Qalubiya to Zagazig the Capital town of Sharqiya. That sector of the line passes by several villages and the town of Minya El Qamh.

The second is the Upper Egypt Line, commonly known as the Cairo – High Dam Line. The project includes the replacement of five sections of the tracks totaling 150 km in the sector of the line extending from Beni Swief to just south of Luxor. This long line of the Egyptian railway system serves all Upper Egypt governorates passing through virtually all its towns, large and small and the great majority of its villages. The line runs in the



Nile Valley west of the Nile River up to Nag Hammadi, where it crosses to the eastern side of the river where it runs up to its terminal station in Aswan.

Current development plans adopted by the central and/or local governments will not affect the spatial relationships of the railway corridor in these very old sections of the Nile Valley and Delta4 and the present-day land use patterns are not expected to change in the foreseeable future. Further horizontal expansion of urban centers in the Nile Delta and Valley is unlikely in view of the current government policies of prohibiting construction on agricultural land. However, population growth is likely to continue, resulting in considerable vertical expansion that will turn many of the small villages into densely populated urban centers.

Figure 11. Geographical location of Project Component 1 area showing the Cairo – Alexandria railway line and main population centers serviced by that line.

4 General Organization for Physical Planning.



Figure 12. Geographical location of Project Component 2 area showing the Cairo – High Dam and Banha - Zagazig railway lines and main population centers serviced by these lines.



4.2 The Physical and Biological Setting

Both project components will be undertaken in the intensively cultivated, densely populated Nile Valley and Delta. The area has been settled since prehistoric times and its natural ecology has been almost totally obliterated by thousands of years of human activities. Agriculture and its associated irrigation and drainage infrastructure, as well as a vast and highly diverse multitude of life support systems and facilities for its multi-million inhabitants have created man-made ecosystems that have been in place for thousands of years.

4.2.1 Geomorphology

The Cairo – Alexandria railway line cuts across central and eastern Nile Delta (Figure 13). The Delta is a uniformly flat triangle about 166 km long from north to south and 250 km wide across its Mediterranean front base. The delta is covered with Nile sediments that are hundreds of meters thick in places. The sediments have been deposited during the Pleistocene and Holocene evolution of the river regime. The Damietta and Rosetta Branches of the Nile are the only active branches of the Nile forming the present day Delta. Extinct branches, however, reached areas far to the east and west of the present delta. Several lakes forming the Delta estuaries represent the transition zone between the Nile and the Mediterranean Sea.

South of the large and intensively cultivated Nile Delta, the present-day flood plain of the Nile becomes very narrow, particularly on the eastern side, where the river washes the feet of the sedimentary hills of the Eastern Desert in places. The average width of the Nile Valley is only about 10 km. That narrow flood plain is bordered on its eastern side by escarpments of limestone from Cairo to Esna, and sandstone from Esna to Aswan. In the recent geological past the river appears to have been larger and much more vigorous as evident in the larger terraces marking the considerably larger flood plain of that ancient river. The present-day flood plain is covered with Nile sediments and is intensively cultivated. Like the situation of the Delta, the Nile Valley represent an essentially man-made ecosystem.

4.2.2 Climate

Climate of Egypt is mostly hyper-arid, with the exception of coastal areas, which enjoy a slightly milder, arid climate due to the maritime effect of the Mediterranean Sea. Precipitation rate is generally low throughout the country and is mostly in the form of winter rain. Average rainfall is highest in the Mediterranean coastal belt, ranging from a



maximum of 304 mm/year in Rafah, to a minimum of 73 mm in Port Said. South of the narrow coastal belt, rainfall drops to less than 10 mm annually throughout most of the country. One of the major features of rainfall of these regions is its great temporal and spatial variability. Percentage variability is greatest in the hyper-arid provinces.

The temperature regime in Egypt is governed mainly by the latitudinal location and the maritime effect of the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. Summer is generally hot (mean of the hottest month between 20 and 30˚ C), or very hot (mean of the hottest month more than 30˚ C). Winter is either warm (mean of the coldest month between 20 and 30˚ C), or mild (mean minimum of the coldest month of 10-20˚ C) except on the highlands where the winter is cool with a mean minimum of the coldest month between 0 and 10˚ C. The coldest month is between December and February, and the hottest month is between June and August in hyper-arid provinces.

Relative humidity is controlled mainly by the relative proximity to the Mediterranean and the Red Sea. The lowest records are those of inland locations of the arid and hyper-arid provinces and the highest are those of locations closer to the Mediterranean coast and the Nile Delta within the arid province. The lowest records of relative humidity are generally those of late spring whereas the highest records are those of late autumn and early winter.

Wind circulation over Egypt is controlled by three permanent high-pressure belts: the Azores, the Indian subtropical and the South Atlantic subtropical. Besides these, a permanent low-pressure belt, the Doldrums, crosses the African continent in the vicinity of the equator. Seasonal high and low -pressure systems also alternate over the continental mass, the Red Sea, the Mediterranean and the Arabian Peninsula. Occasionally, very hot dust-laden wind blows in the spring (Khamasin). This wind may have numerous environmental consequences including possible effects on climate, soil formation, ground-water quality and crop growth. Visibility during these storms is reduced substantially (below 1000 m).

The evaporative power of the air in the hyper-arid provinces of Egypt varies in January from 3.6-7.9 mm/day and in June from 14.0-24.3 mm/day.

4.2.3 Noise

The railroad corridors covered in this assessment transect areas that varry considerably in terms of background noise levels. It is also expected that noise levels at any given locality change significantly at different times of day as a result of variation of levels of human activities. Due to expected variation in noise levels in different parts of the project area and the lack of comprehensive data on baseline conditions regarding noise level, permissible noise standards given in the Egyptian legislations will be used as basis for



comparing present and potential project-induced changes in noise levels. Although this limits the level of certainty regading predicted impacts on noise level, it provide a reasonable, albeit qualitative assessment of potential noise impact of the project and its activities

Noise generated by passing trains add to and usually masks the often excessive ambient noise. In a study on railway noise in the city of Asuit5, noise measurements showed that the railway noise levels in are higher than those set by Egyptian noise standards and policy to protect public health and welfare in residential areas.

The study showed, however, that railway is the second significant source of noise in that city, with road traffic being the most significant source of noise. Sound levels as high as 80 dB and higher were recorded in residential areas during train passage. According to that study, 51.3% of dwellers of Assiut heard railway noise. Sixty seven percent of those who heard railway noise felt highly annoyed.

Maximum permissible limits of sound intensity are given in the Executive Regulations of Law number 4 of 1994 and are discussed in Chapter 2 of this report. According to these regulations, noise intensity during an eight-hour work shift should not exceed 90 decibels. Intermittent noise above that level is permissible for specified periods of time and are shown in Table 5. Article 42 of the Law 4 of 1994 requires that all organisations and individuals to maintain emanating sounds from different operating machinery or other sources below the permissible limits. Licensing authorities are to ensure that in a given area, the overall emanated sounds from fixed sources are within the allowable limits. In addition, licensing authorities are to ensure that machinery and equipments selected by establishments fulfil the law’s requirements. 4.2.4 Air Quality

The national standards stipulated in the Executive Regulations of Law 4 of 1994 for outdoor air pollution limits in terms of maximum permissible limits and exposure period are discussed in Chapter 2 of this report. Air pollution levels are expected to vary considerably from one place to another along the long railway corridors in the Delta and the Nile Valley. Great variations in pollution levels are expected to occur during different seasons and different time of day. No comprehensive statistics is available on the background levels of the air pollutants along the railway lines covered in this project or its adjacent population centers is not available. Similar to the situation with noise baseline data, the present assessment will only provide a qualitative evaluation of the impact of the project on air quality in comparison with the relevant national air quality standards.

5 S. A. Ali. 2005. Railway noise levels, annoyance and countermeasures in Assiut, Egypt. Applied Acoustics 66, 105-113.



Figure 13. A Landsat Imagery showing main topographic features of the Nile Valley and Delta and adjacent desert.



4.2.5 Soil and Ground Water pollution

No data is available on the extent of soil and ground water contamination in the project area. However, the well known extensive use of pesticides, chemical fertilizers and other agrochemicals, as well as the great variety of poorly maintained industrial operations in the area, and the lack of domestic waste water treatment and disposal throughout most of the area makes it likely that considerable soil and water pollution occurs.

4.2.6 Biodiversity

Pristine natural habitats do not exist in most of the areas of the Nile Valley and Delta including those covered in this project. Nevertheless, cultivated areas and even urban areas of the Nile Delta and Valley support considerable wildlife. Several species of mammals, birds and reptiles have successfully adapted to living in close proximity of man and his activities in these densely populated areas. Annex 4 shows lists of common wild mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians of the Nile Delta and Valley. Wild flora occurs as weeds in cultivated field and grow spontaneously in a great variety on banks of irrigation canals and at the edges of the railway embankment. Annex 5 shows a list of common wild plants seen in the vicinity of the railway corridor in the Nile Valley and Delta.

The railway track corridors have been in place for more than a century and are already part of the man-made landscape of the Nile Valley and Delta. Although some wildlife and flora seem to utilize man-made microhabitats around the track corridor, none seems to be obligate user that requires these microhabitat for its survival. Available data show that none of the species that are likely to occur around the railway corridor is threatened.

4.3 The Socio-economic setting

4.3.1 Background

According to the national census of 2007, Egypt has a population of 78 million soles, with an average population density of 67.8 per square km. The great majority of Egypt’s population, however, lives in the Nile Valley and Delta, in an area of approximately 40,000 square km. Greater Cairo (Cairo, Giza, and Qalioubiya) and Alexandria have the highest population densities. Egypt has a high annual population growth rate of 2.1% in rural areas and 2.4% in urban areas.

The country is administratively divided into twenty-six governorates (Attachment 1) in addition to the self-governed City of Luxor. Each governorate is further divided into



administrative centers “marakez”6. Egypt has a total of 180 of these Administrative Centers, 213 Cities, 74 Neighborhoods and 4,632 Villages7. A governorate is either fully urban or a mixture of urban and rural. Fully urban governorates have no Administrative Centers and are mainly comprised of cities8. Egypt has four urban governorates, which are Cairo, Alexandria, Port Said and Suez9.

Egypt's gross domestic product (GDP) is approximately 510 billion Egyptian pounds (in 2004) with a 13% increase compared to the previous year10.

Human development disparities between rural and urban regions exist on different levels. Despite the fact that rural areas in Egypt constitute almost 55% of the total populated area, they are considered underprivileged compared to urban areas in terms of services and economic growth. For instance, population data from the 2000 census reveals that access to improved sanitation is almost 100% in urban areas, compared to 96% in rural quarters; access to improved water source is 99% in urban areas versus 96% in rural areas11 . Rural/urban disparities are also apparent in the adult illiteracy rate, especially among adults above fifteen years of age. Among this group, adult literacy is 43.5% in the governorates of Upper Egypt, 35.1% in Lower Egypt governorates, 29.7% in Frontier Governorates, and 19.2 in urban governorates. Other area of services, such as higher education and health show similar gaps between rural and urban regions12. Public investment in rural areas is lower than in urban areas. Local distribution for investment implemented under the current Five Year Plan shows that public investment in Cairo was 22.5% of total public investment compared to only 15% in the West Delta, 17.6% in the Middle and East Delta, 15.9% in the Suez Canal Zone and Sinai, 8.2% in the northern Upper Egypt, 4.9% in central Upper Egypt, and 15.9% in the southern Upper Egypt.13

4.3.2 Socioeconomic profile of the project area

The railway lines of both components of the project run through the most densely populated regions of Egypt. The socioeconomic make up of the influence area of the 6 Earth Trends Country Profiles (2003), Population, Health and Human Well Being - Egypt

7 Year Book (2007) Egypt State Information Service. 8 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governorates_of_Egypt 9 Information and Decision Support Center (2006), Concept for Urban and Rural: Between International and Local definitions. 10 Ministry of Economic Development (2005), National Indicators for 2003/2004. 11 Sattar, Sarosh (2002). Egypt’s Public Safety Net. 12 UNDP (2005), Egypt Human Development Report, Towards New Social Contract.

13 Year Book (2007), Egypt State Information Service.



project is extremely diverse, and is in fact as varied as that of the Egyptian society. These include affluent communities of high economic sectors of Cairo and Alexandria, as well as poorest of the poor of the Egyptian society in informal urban areas and in remote villages of Upper Egypt. Although the greatest part of the railway tracks run through rural areas where the main economic activity is agriculture, considerable portions of the lines pass through urban areas with highly diverse economic activities.

The railway track corridor cuts across most of the towns it serves, creating a physical barrier that often divides a town into two socio-economically distinct sections. This is caused by the fact that the railway lines were originally placed just outside cites. As cities grew, often informally, the poorer sectors of the urban society gradually settled on the side of the track opposite of the formal town. Informal neighborhoods eventually appeared, conveniently close to the formal city yet separated from it by the railroad embankment.

The railway corridor, which is often walled within cities, allow traffic and people crossing at relatively few level crossings,. These level crossings invariably form traffic bottlenecks, particularly in larger, more crowded area. Informal crossings created by breaching the protective walls are extremely common and create a major hazard to its users and the passing trains.

In all towns of the Delta and the Nile valley, the area around the main train station is the hub, or at least an important center of local economic activity. Some of the businesses in these areas are directly dependent on the operation of the railway service (such as local passenger transportation, restaurants, coffee shops, etc.). Others benefit from high demands for goods and services created by the movement of large number of train users who frequent the train station area.

The Cairo – Alexandria railway line between Arab El Raml and Alexandria consists of double tracks running on an elevated embankment, about 3 to 4 meters higher the surrounding ground surface. Throughout most of its length, the line has the Cairo – Alexandria Agricultural highway on one side and cultivated land on the other. A great variety of crops are cultivated in that part of the Delta but the most common are wheat, corn, cotton, and vegetables, as well as groves of citrus and other fruit trees. The line passes through a number of small towns and many villages in that sector. Sectors passing through major towns and other densely populated areas, the track corridor is walled, allowing access to cross the tracks only at designated level crossings. Illegal crossing is very common, occurring all along the line, with the walls deliberately breached by the local people to allow such crossing.



The Cairo – Alexandria railway line runs through the Nile Delta, one of the most densely populated areas in the world, linking the largest population centers in Egypt and several of the country's larger towns. The line provides a railway linkage for the capital cities of six governorates and a total human population of approximately 31 millions, most of whim live in the urban areas of Cairo and Alexandria and delta towns. It provides a key transportation service for passengers, goods and mail service. Table 10 shows the governorates transected by the Cairo - Alexandria railway line and the size of their urban and rural populations.

Table 10. Governorates transected by the Cairo - Alexandria railway line and the size of their urban and rural populations14. Governorate Urban Rural Total Cairo 7,786,640 ___ 7,786,640 Alexandria 4,110,015 ___ 4,110,015 Qalioubiya 1,599,230 2,637,773 6,874,776 Menofia 668,703 2,601,701 3,270,404 Gharbia 1,200,752 2,809,546 4,010,298 Beheira 907,300 3,829,826 4,737,126 TOTAL 16,272,640 11,878,846 30,789,259

The Cairo – High Dam railway line links the largest population centers in Upper Egypt to Cairo. The line provides a railway linkage for ten governorates with a total human population of more than 41 millions, a little than one half of whom live in urban areas. Table 11 shows the governorates transected by this line and the size of their urban and rural populations. The line represents the most important transportation service for passengers including tourists traveling archeological attractions of Upper Egypt. The line is also a key transportation artery for cargo within Upper Egypt and between Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt and Cairo.

The sector of the track between Banha and Zagazig in the Nile Delta, which will be covered in this component of the project, links the capitals of the Governorates of Qalubiya.and Sharqiya and town of Minya El Qamh. The sector is part of the East Railway Line, which serves the eastern Delta and the Suez Canal regions, linking several secondary cities in that region.

14 Description of Egypt in Numbers, 2007. Publication of the Information and Decision Support Center, Cabinet of Ministers.



The railway lines pass through several governorates in both Lower and Upper Egypt (Table 11 and 12). The socioeconomic settings of a sample of three of these governorates are covered in some detail in Annex 6. The sample is selected based on the geographical locations, size, and level of economic development.

Table 11. Covernorates and Administrative Centers (Markaz) linked by railway lines of project components 1 and 2. Governorate Markaz Project Component 1 Cairo -- Qalubiya Qalyub, Banha Monofiya Quesna, Birket El Sabh Gharbiya Tanta, Kafr El Zaiyat Behaira Etay El Baroud, Damanhure, Abu Homos, Kafr El Dawar Alexandria -- Project Component 2 Qalubiya Banha Sharqiya Menia El Qamh, Zagazig Cairo -- Beni Sweif El Wasta, Beni Sweif, Beba, El Fashn El Minya Maghagha, Beni Mazar, Samalute, El Minya, Abu Qurqas, Mallawy Asuyt Dairute, Manfalut, Asuyt, Abu Tig Sohag Tahta, Sohag, Girga, El Baliena Qena Nag Hammadi, Dishna, Qena, Qoos Luxor Luxor Aswan Idfu, Kom Umbo, Aswan



Table 12. Governorates transected by the Cairo – High Dam railway line and the size of their urban and rural populations15. Governorate Urban Rural Total Cairo 7,786,640 ___ 7,786,640 Giza 3,676,034 2,596,953 8,869,524 Beni Sweif 5,232,539 1,757,988 6,990,527 Fayoum 564,596 1,948,196 2,512,792 Minya 787 3,392,728 3,393,515 Assiut 906,864 2,534,733 3,441,597 Sohag 801,360 2,945,017 3,746,377 Qena 643,097 2,358,397 3,001,494 Aswan 502,863 681,579 1,184,442 Luxor 213,819 237,499 451,318 Total 20,328,599 18,453,090 41,378,226

15 Description of Egypt in Numbers, 2007. Publication of the information and Decision Support Center, Cabinet of Ministers.



5.0 ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPACTS

The EIA is prepared according to the standard guidelines and regulations issued by EEAA and will be submitted to the EEAA for review and approval. Conclusions are presented in the form of an Environmental Impact Assessment report, which will provide an overall view of the environmental consequences of the proposed project and the measures that need to be taken to ensure that negative impacts are kept to a minimum.

5.1 Data Collection

Preparation of the EIA involved a considerable amount of data collection from various sources:

Review of available data on the existing environmental conditions in the area. This included a review of existing maps of the area, of recorded climatological, geological, geomorphological, hydrological and air quality data and of available information on flora, fauna and biotic habitats. Data on the demographic and socioeconomic setting in the project area was obtainable from numerous government publications and research papers. Information on the existing conditions of the railway system and facilities were obtained from several documents provided by the client.

Examination of the project plans. A detailed examination of the project documents was undertaken. These documents consisted of available project plans and project description included in the Terms of Reference prepared by the client for the engineering team.

The literature review and the examination of the project plans and documents allowed the identification of information gaps that need to be filled through field data collection and areas of environmental concern that require detailed examination through the EIA studies.

Field data collection The EIA team conducted several data collection field visits to the project areas. A reconnaissance survey of the Cairo – Alexandria line and its signaling system (Component 1) was carried by a team of engineers and environmental specialists traveling in the train locomotive with the driver. Detailed information on the signaling system and its operational conditions was collected. The team also visited the Central Traffic Management Center in Tanta and collected information on the existing equipment and facilities for the automatic signaling system in parts of that line. Other visits to examine certain sites have been undertaken to address certain issues of environmental/social significance (e.g. the operation of particularly crowded level crossings, possible sites for underwater cable crossings, etc.)



Socioeconomic and environmental team also surveyed the track replacement sectors of the project in Upper and Lower Egypt (Component 2) to gather site-specific data on the existing socioeconomic and environmental setting and to identify any particularly sensitive elements in these sites. Visits to specific sites of potentially special significance have also been made to gather data necessary for assessing their sensitivities to project activities. 5.2 Impact Prediction

While the project, once completed, will result in a considerable improvement in the railway service of the two lines covered by the project, some negative impacts are also expected during the construction phase. Positive impact of the project on the railway service include the following:

Improved train operation safety.

Improved operation safety of level crossings.

Reducing trip time as a result of increased train travel speed and reducing operational delay.

Enhanced comfort as a result of smoother train movement and reduced noise levels.

Based on the findings of the initial scoping activities, as well as the consultation meetings and interviews, it became clear that most of the adverse impacts of both components of the project will occur during the construction process and mostly affect human populations in the project area. Most of these impacts are expected to be temporary in nature and affect both the local populations close to the construction sites as well as the general users of the railway line regardless of where they live. Impacts on the operation of the railway lines during construction will affect larger sectors of the society, particularly those using the train. Impacts on the physical environment and the ecology of the project area appear to be minor.

Accordingly, the ESIA will investigate more closely the socio-economic impacts of the construction process and activities of both components of the project. The ESIA covers two impact groups. These are the impacts on users of the train lines (including daily commuters and other passengers), and those that will affect communities residing or working near the construction sites. Accordingly, two types of impacts will be considered in the assessment.

Generalized impacts: these are widespread impacts that will affect most or the entire influence area of the project component. Examples of such impacts are train delays resulting from construction activities, which will affect the great majority



of the commuters and other users of a train line. Assessment of generalized impacts covers, the Cairo – Alexandria and the Cairo – High Dam Lines.

Site-specific, local impacts: these impacts will be restricted to specific sites and communities along the railway lines (such as access restriction during construction at certain level crossings, noise, air and water pollution generated during extended construction activities at certain sites). Based on the findings of the scoping exercise, the EIA activities will focus more on the following issues:

5.2.1 Identification of key impact areas

Based on the analysis of the existing environmental setting of the project areas, a number of environmental components may be identified. These environmental components represent the basic structural and functional building units of the project construction sites, and the rural and urban areas surrounding the railway corridor. Each one of these components is characterized by a number of attributes, which control the nature and role of that component within the local environmental setting. These attributes are the environmental elements that may become affected by the project and/or its activities, resulting in either positive or negative impacts that will eventually be manifested in changes in the prevailing environmental setting. An exhaustive list of these environmental components of the project site and adjacent areas and their attributes have been constructed on the basis of this analysis and are shown in Table 14. The list is made on the basis of the results of the extensive survey of the project areas, which are summarized the Baseline Data section of this report. Each of the environmental components with its special attributes thus represents a potential impact area.

Impact areas and their corresponding attributes vary considerably in their environmental resilience and hence their vulnerability to environmental stress. The original list of impact areas and environmental attributes, which was the result of the preliminary scoping activities, has been reduced considerably by eliminating environmental and socio-economic components that are unlikely to be affected by the project either because of their innate resilience or because they are physically outside the potential impact area of the project.

The ecological characteristics of the project area, which is essentially most of the Nile Delta and the Nile Valley are the most fundamental natural attributes that might become affected by the project. Biodiversity at the levels of the habitats and species, as well as natural topography and drainage regimes represent the cornerstone of the ecology of that vast area. Factors that alter these attributes will have significant impacts on the ecology of the area as a whole. It should be noted, however, that these basic elements of the natural ecology of the project construction sites and surrounding area have been radically altered,



or eliminated all together as a result of thousands of years of intensive human activities, effectively replacing the natural ecosystems of this vast area with a man made environment.

Closely related to the existing ecological setting of the area is the status of environmental pollution. Particularly important are the levels of common air pollutants resulting from motor vehicles and a multitude of industrial emissions, such as gaseous and particulate matter emissions. Solid waste, which includes domestic, industrial and construction waste is a common source of pollution in areas around railway corridor, where illegal dumping has been a common practice for many years. Noise is another common environmental nuisance in the area near the railway lines. The project construction sites in area where human population density is likely to suffer from a noise pollution problem similar to that of the other cities in Egypt. The possibility of the project contributing to the development of a noise pollution problem during construction is also considered. The impact of the project on the levels of environmental pollution in the project areas is therefore considered.

Socio-economic conditions are generally considered the most important impact area of large-scale development projects. ENRRP involves the railway service that is being used by millions of Egyptians. It also covers a very large geographical area along almost the entire length of the Egyptian Nile Valley and Delta. Communities that are expected to be affected by the project therefore, include those living in areas adjacent to the railway corridor, daily commuters using different sections of the lines, and the general populations of the areas linked by the lines who directly or indirectly benefit from the railway service to different degrees.

Another important impact area that might potentially be affected by the project is public and private services. This includes particularly public transportation, local traffic and traffic control services, emergency services and public safety, and to a lesser extent education, and health care, shopping, and employment which can be indirectly influenced by the project construction activities, which will affect transportation and traffic.

Accordingly, communities that may be potentially impacted by construction activities at certain sites were identified on the basis of the following criteria:

Proximity to site of construction activities

Type of construction activity

Size and duration of the construction activities

Community population size and density.

Presence of heavily used level crossings



Presence of schools, hospitals, residential area

The project is intended to enhance the efficiency and safety of operation of the Egyptian railway system. The impact of the project on factors that affect the fulfillment of these objectives, and their environmental cost are therefore considered in this analysis. Areas to be mostly affected by the project are based upon the relative advantage of the new facilities introduced into the railway lines in terms of efficiency of use of existing lines, increased speed and reduced trip time, improved operation safety, and reduced noise level.

Table 13 shows a list of environmental components and attributes that may potentially be affected by the project, its components and/or activities during the construction and operation phases.

Table 13. Environmental Components (impact areas) Ecological Characteristics

Natural habitats Flora Fauna Threatened biodiversity Natural drainage Surface features General environmental quality

Air Quality

Water Quality Surface water Ground water Noise Level

Socioeconomic Elements Local economy

Business opportunities Property value Employment opportunities Local wage structure

Commuting cost Commuting time Commuting means Accessibility to public services Community development potential Land use pattern



Table 13, continued

Public and Private Services Railway service Availability Reliability Trip time

Delays Safety of operation Operation of level crossings Safety of level crossings Drinking water supply Sewage services Energy services Education Health care facilities Housing Emergency services Traffic flow Need for other forms of transportation Parking Public security Shopping

The Egyptian National Railway System Fulfillment ENRRP objectives

Improved operation efficiency Improved operation safety Improved railway service to the public

Aesthetic and Cultural Aspects Attractiveness View opportunities Landmarks and historical sites Archeological sites

Conformity with Environmental Laws and Regulations

5.2.2 Identification of key project activities

Identification of potential impacts of the project on the environmental/socio-economic attributes listed on Table 13 requires the initial identification of components and activities of the project in detail. Two phases of the project are considered in this analysis. These are the construction phase, and the operation phase. Components and activities involved in each of these project phases are identified on the basis of careful scrutiny of the project plans as well as extensive discussions with engineers and ENR experts involved in the



project. The lists of these components and activities provide the basis for the environmental impact analysis. Examination of these exhaustive lists revealed that some items appear to potentially impact different environmental and socio-economic components. Items considered to be of a potential impact, along with relatively sensitive elements of the environment, are considered in the impact analysis sections of the ESIA study, which deals with the impact prediction and evaluation.

5.2.2.1 Construction Phase

The construction process is expected to encompass most of the potential environmental impacts associated with this project. Construction will involve activities that may affect the local communities and environmental conditions at the construction sites and may also directly or indirectly affect the surrounding areas. Construction process will also certainly result in temporary impacts that will affect users of the lines or those directly or indirectly dependant on the services rendered by these lines. Environmentally important activities of the construction phase are listed in Table 14.

Table 14. Construction activities Signaling system modernization (Project component 1) - Communication and power cables

o Excavation work o Removal of old cables o Disposal of old cables o Installation of optic fibers cables o Installation of power cables o Storage and disposal of construction solid waste

- Installation of track-side signals and signaling equipment - Installation of block systems, telecommunications, and interlocking equipment - Automated level crossing systems - Central Traffic Control building and train dispatch towers

o Foundation work o Concrete mixing, casting and curing operations o Soil replacement o Transport of construction material o Storage of construction material o Operation of heavy equipment o Mechanical equipment installation o Finishing work (painting, tiling, plumbing, electrical, etc.) o Noise pollution o Air pollution



Table 14, continued

o Hazardous emissions (e.g. asphalting...) o Storage and disposal of construction solid waste o Disposal of construction liquid waste o Disposal of excavated material o Water consumption o Workers’ transportation and accommodation o Workers' activities

Track replacement (Project component 2) - Transportation of

o Welded rail sections o New ballast material o Used, often contaminated ballast material o Track sleepers

- Storage of track sections o Welded rail sections o Ballast material o Track sleepers

- Track installation o Ballast removal o Ballast replacement o Rail and sleepers installation o Rail stretching and welding o Operation of heavy equipment o Noise pollution o Air pollution o Workers’ transportation and accommodation o Workers' activities

- Disposal of used, often contaminated ballast basalt.

5.2.2.2 Operation Phase

Impact analysis of the operation of the Cairo –Alexandria and Cairo – High Dam railway lines requires the thorough identification of environmental and socio-economic consequences of activities associated with the day-to-day operation of these lines (Table 15). These consequences are mostly related to the improved safety and efficiency of the railway service along these lines. With the modern signaling systems and the improved track conditions, the possibility of increasing the average and the maximum train speed along these lines is likely to be considered. While the current maximum speed on the two lines is 120 km/hr, a maxim speed of 140 to 160 km/ hr may be considered. With the



extremely common illegal pedestrian and vehicle crossing of the railway tracks all along these lines, as well as the apparent inadequate control over open level crossings, the issue of safety becomes even more pressing. Train drivers have invariably expressed there deep concern regarding the frequent illegal crossing and the hazard this poses to the safety of the train and its passengers, as well as to the violators.

The daily commuting time will be reduced for users of these lines as a result of the modernized railway system. This may attract more commuters to using the train rather than other modes of transportation, which will contribute to reducing car traffic congestion and air pollution resulting vehicular emission.

Table 15. Operation activities

Line Operation - Telecommunication systems - Automated Central Traffic Control

Automated signaling system Electronic Interlocking System Automated counter flow junctions and signaling Train tracking system

Air Quality

Noise

Railway Service Quality - Increased average and maximum train speed - Reduced operational delays - Improved operation safety - Improved operational safety of level crossings. - Welded track lines - Enhanced comfort as a result of smoother train movement and reduced noise levels.

Other public Transportation - Use of other transportation means - Traffic congestion - Vehicular emissions



6.0 PUBLIC CONSULTATION AND DISCLOSURE ACTIVITIES

A series of interviews was conducted with various knowledgeable individuals to collected data on the project and its activities, as well as to explore different views regarding its positive and negative impacts. These include several ENR engineers and other representatives, consulting engineering team responsible for the design of the Arab El Raml – Alexandria signaling system; train engineers, representatives of the EEAA (in relevant EEAA Branch Offices), local government officials, shopkeepers, residents near expected project activity areas, commuters and other users of the train lines and other stakeholders.

Based upon the results of the initial impact screening process, the following three target groups that might experience substantial socio-economic impacts as a result of the project have been identified.

- Train users

- Local residents of communities adjacent to the train corridor

- Frequent users of level crossings.

The three, potentially impacted populations, were then sampled in three governorates namely, Beni Suief, Minya and Cairo. Different tools were utilized in the selected governorates in order to solicit information regarding the socio-economic impacts of the proposed project. Meetings with stakeholders were carried out by EQI field team in collaboration with the Asuit Businessmen Association (ABA) and its branches in Upper and Lower Egypt. ABA efficient public outreach capabilities were instrumental in allowing the exploration of public opinion and concerns of a good, representative sample of the society in the limited time frame of the study. Annex 7 shows interview and data collection forms used in the public scoping interviews. These include forms for train users, users of level crossings, and residents in areas adjacent to construction sites. A total of 1166 individuals representing different groups that are likely to be affected by the project were interviewed (Table 16). 6.1 Public consultation meetings

The results of the impact analysis were presented to key stakeholders in two public review meetings; one held in Upper Egypt in the town of Minya and the other in Lower Egypt in Cairo. The two public consultation meetings were announced in a paid advertisement in major newspaper, with an invitation to the general public to participate.



Information on the project as well as a summary of the findings of the ESIA were posted on EQI's website for public review prior to the consultation meetings.

Table 16. Composition of population sample intervwied.

Markaz Village Sample composition

Residents close to railroad corridor Beni Sweif Tizment 149

El kofoor 92 Beni Mazar 133 El Moda 273 Minya

Maghagha 100 Total 5 Villages 747 Frequent users of level crossings Beni Sweif Tizment 25

El kofoor 31 Beni Mazar 19 El Moda 22 Minya

Maghagha 22 Total 5 Villages 119 Train users Cairo – High Dam 150 Cairo – Alexandria 150 Total 300 Total Sample 1166

The Minya meeting was Held at the Cleopatra Hotel in Minya on 2 April, 2008 and was attended by 112 participants representing different sectors of the society, representatives of relevant government officials including the Egyptian National Railways, the local government of Miniya and Beni Sweif, and the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency. Representatives of a number of NGOs also attended. The Cairo public consultation meeting was held in the Egyptian National Railway Club in Nasr City on 3 April 2008 and was attended by 72 individuals, representing a diverse group of stakeholders.

In these public consultation meetings, the project, its objects, components and activities was introduced. Participants were provided with information gleaned from the results of the impact analysis studies on the potential impacts of the project and its activities on existing environmental conditions at the project site, and the adjacent influence areas.



The public review also allowed stakeholders to participate in the identification of other areas of concern if they have not already been included in the study scope. These concerns were then further investigated in the impact analysis section of the study.



7.0 KEY IMPACTS

Construction work is expected to have a number of adverse impacts on physical elements of the environment which in turn will have significant socio-economic impacts. Construction work will also directly affect large sectors of the populations by affecting the operation of the railway service and its associated elements such as the level crossings. Elements of construction activities that are expected to adversely affect the environment and their direct and indirect impacts are shown in Table 17 and are discussed in detail below.

7.1 Noise, Air Quality and Water Quality

With the extremely varied activity profile of areas along the two railway lines covered in this study, ambient noise levels and air quality are expected to be equally varied. These levels are expected to vary considerably from one area to another along the hundreds of kilometres of railway corridors covered by this project. These values are also expected to change during different seasons and even times of day. In certain areas the ambient levels of noise and air pollutants exceed national permissible standards. It is expected, however, that noise generated during certain construction activities will exceed permissible levels. Noise related to the removal and installation of the tracks, particularly the working of the basalt fragment ballast will be particularly high.

Similarly, certain construction activities (e.g. welding, asphalting, excavation of foundations and cable trenches, etc.) are expected to generate dust and other forms of air pollution. Although these pollutants are expected to be of relatively small quantities, that will quickly disperse and become diluted, community members living very close, or down wind of the work site may potentially be affected. These impacts will also affect construction crews at the worksite. Although these impacts are all temporary in nature, occurring only during the actual construction work, which will mostly be undertaken mostly for a few hours to few days at any given site, mitigation measures are considered to be necessary.

It should be noted, however, that because of the very large area covered by the project and the extremely varied environmental conditions along the railway lines, a sufficiently comprehensive assessment of baseline conditions regarding these parameters was not possible. It was decided, therefore, that national noise, air quality and surface water standards stipulated in the executive regulations of Law number 4 of 1994 would be used as the baseline values against which project-caused changes in levels of noise and air quality should be measured. Accordingly, noise generation and polluting emissions that



are likely to exceed the national allowable standards, or if seen by the relevant community groups as a potential hazard, should be addressed in the mitigation and monitoring plans.

7.2 Surface Water

Some of the construction activities will take place at areas where the railway corridor runs close to a major irrigation canal, such as El Ibrahimiya Canal in Upper Egypt. Although the likelihood of pollution of surface water as a result of some construction activities is relatively small due to the nature and size of the expected construction work, precautionary measures are needed to prevent accidental or deliberate release of pollutants to these vital sources of water.

The railway crosses bodies of water at several points along the Arab El Raml – Alexandria sector. Five of these crossings are over drawbridges. Consequently, communication and power cables of the existing and the proposed signalling network have to cross these bodies of water running under water. Underwater cables will cross the Rosetta Branch of the Nile River at Kafr El Zayat, and at four major irrigation canals. The insulated cables will be placed in a water-tight PVC pipe before laying on the bottom. The pipe will be anchored to the river bottom using pre-cured cement blocks. The process is unlikely to result in any water contamination and does not seem to be likely to impact any of the elements of the aquatic ecosystems of these water courses.

7.3 Biodiversity

Habitats along the railway corridors covered in this project are all man made and none is not considered threatened in any way. Wildlife of the Nile Delta and Valley is among the most diverse of any of the terrestrial habitat in the country. This wildlife consists mainly of species that are able to tolerate human activities and manage to survive in the habitats he created. The railroad corridor is part of the man-made landscape and will continue to be so after the implementation of the modernization project. There is no indication that construction work and subsequent operation of the lines after completion of the project will have any irreversible, or significant adverse impacts on wildlife and habitats in areas adjacent to these lines. Wild fauna and flora along the railway corridor are expected to tolerate disturbances associated with construction activities of the project.

7.4 Secondary impacts on the physical environment

The replacement of the old ballast aggregate will require very large quantities of basalt that have been estimated at about 200,000 cubic meters. Available data from the client



does not refer to the expected source(s) of this large quantity of basalt. It is expected, however, that most of this basalt would be obtained from the large Abu Zahbal quarries just east of Cairo or other smaller basalt quarries scattered mostly throughout the desert east of the Nile. Despite the seemingly large volume required, the extraction of this quantity of basalt will not be an issue in terms of its impact on the local environment and vast reserves available at these quarries.

The Abu Zahbal basalt quarries have been in operation for more than a century and are expected to continue to be the main source of basalt for many years to come16. Massive quantities are quarried for many uses in the construction industries, particularly the construction of road pavement. The quarries are located in an uninhabited desert area near the eastern fringes of the Nile Delta. Basalt rocks are dug out of the ground creating massive holes. The quarries expand gradually eastwards into the adjacent desert to respond to new demands for basalt. The quarrying of the required basalt for this project is unlikely to represent any significant change in the operation of this or any other basalt quarries in Egypt or significantly alters any environmental impacts that these quarries may have.

Figure 14. Basalt quarries in Abu Zahbal.

16 R. Said. 1992. Geology of Egypt, Elsevier, Amsterdam



Table 17. Elements of construction activities that are expected to adversely affect the environment and their direct and indirect impacts.

Potential Environmental /Social Impacts Project Activity

Direct Impacts Indirect Impact Construction activities at areas accessible to the public.

Safety risk to public at or near construction sites.

Installation of communication and power cables, block systems, interlocking equipment, track-side signals, automated level crossing systems and signaling equipment - Excavation work - Removal of old cables - Disposal of old cables - Installation of optic fibers cables - Installation of power cables - Storage and disposal of construction solid waste

Construction of new dispatcher towers and renovation of existing dispatcher towers and the CTC building in Tanta.

Removal and transportation of old tracks (rails, sleepers, contaminated ballast basalt).

Transportation and installation of tracks (rails, concrete sleepers, ballast basalt), and compacting of embankment.

Generation of dust and noise from construction activities, vehicles and equipment

Hazardous emissions (e.g. asphalting, rail welding, operation of vehicles and other equipment) Improper transportation, disposal and/or decontamination of old ballast basalt may result in local pollution and visual nuisance.

Safety risk to construction crews and public at or near construction sites and along material transportation routes.

A major nuisance to communities near work site, particularly if taking place at night.

Threat to public health in areas adjacent to work site.

Reduction of train speed at work sites Longer train trip time

Unexpected train delays

Train delay may result in delayed arrival to work or business, schools, etc. Unexpected delay is more difficult to deal with.

Some train passenger might have to resort to other, often more expensive modes of transportation.



Table 17, continued

Potential Environmental /Social Impacts Project Activity

Direct Impacts Indirect Impact Construction at level crossings (Partial or complete closure of the crossing to pedestrian and vehicle traffic)

Increased traffic congestion at certain level crossings

Interrupting normal movement of people and goods.

Increased illegal track crossing.

Traffic flow problems at areas in the general neighborhood of the level crossing.

Difficult accessibility to certain areas

Difficulties of access to emergency services and vehicles.

Delay to work, business or schools.

7.5 Socio-economic impact

Socio-economic impacts of the project affects the three sectors of potentially impacted communities described above. Expected impacts affecting each one of these communities are covered in this section.

7.5.1 Local residents of communities adjacent to the train corridor

These are the residents of numerous town villages whose homes are adjacent or very close to the railway corridor. Their close proximity to the railway tracks makes them particularly vulnerable to adverse impacts associated with the construction work. Noise, dust and other types of air pollution associated with construction work affect these people than any other sectors of the community (possibly with the exception of the work crews). Transportation, storage and handling of construction material and waste are more likely to affect these people than any other members of the community.

Reactions of local residents towards potential impacts associated with the construction phase of the project varied according to the proximity of their residence or place of work to the railway corridor. This distance ranged in the survey sample between a maximum of 800 meters and a minimum of 100 meters. Those that are particularly close to the tracks



were deeply concerned about the noise, dust and what they presumed to hazardous fumes. The concern with fumes and dust was progressively less often expressed as the residence or place of work became farther away from the tracks. Nevertheless, among a sample of 816 individuals representing rural and urban areas close to 58% expressed their concern about the possibility of experiencing unacceptably high noise level during construction work. The remaining 42% of the respondents either though that they can tolerate the high noise level or were not at all concerned about it. Out of those concerned about the noise, 38% felt that excessive noise can hinder ability to concentrate (e.g. during studying, working or even watching television) and 47% expected to suffer sleeping disturbance.

On the other hand, few individuals living immediately next to the railway corridor complained about the excessive noise generated by passing trains and particularly, what they considered the unnecessary and excessive use of the train siren while the train is passing through cities.

A number of these local residents also complained that the uploading and mechanical shaking and sifting of ballast gravel of basaltic fragments during ballast replacement work, generates unbearable noise, based on their past experience with track construction work. It was generally clear, therefore, that excessive noise associated with different construction activities is one of the main impacts that should be mitigated. For most respondents, construction noise becomes a major nuisance if it occurs at night.

Fewer people were concerned about the possibility of the possible generation of dust and other air pollutants (including noxious fumes generated during asphalting work) in some of the construction activities.

7.5.2 Train Users:

Impacts related to the operation difficulties resulting from construction work are among the most important impacts of this project. Interruption of the normal operations of the trains directly and indirectly affect a large number of people who depend on trains as a cheap, safe and reliable mode of transportation. Three hundred passengers responded to the survey questionnaire. Passengers were selected from two trains namely, train number 935, which serves the Sohag to Alexandria route; and train number 990, which serves Minya to Luxor.

Out of the responding passenger sample, 52% used trains for frequent business-related travel, 29% used it for irregular personal travel, and 19% for other purposes. Out of all the respondents, only 1% use the train for daily commuting to work, 20% use it once a week, 16% once every two months, 45% once a month and 18% less frequently than once a month. In addition, 57% of responding passengers spend between three to six hours on



their train journey, while 43% spend between seven to twelve hours on the train. Of all respondents, 19% considered their journey duration acceptable, while 72% considered it too long journey.

With regards to respondents’ reactions to the effect of the expected delays due to construction work, 75% expressed their willingness to accept the delay as a temporary incontinence that is outweighed by the benefit associated with the modernization of the railway lines and services. On the other hand, 20% of the respondents felt that construction delays are unacceptable, but will still use the train. Close to 3% of the respondents, considered the expected delays unacceptable, stating that they will have to use other modes of transportation during the construction period. The remaining 2% identified other options.

Among those we expect to be forced to use other modes of transportation, 29% were concerned about the higher cost of alternative transportation modes and its implications on family budgets. Very few individuals also expected some salary deduction due to being late for work; or excessive frustrations due to the lengthy train trips.

7.5.3 Level Crossing Users:

Level crossing along the railway lines covered in this study often create traffic bottlenecks, particularly where the line runs through a crowded urban area or where it transects a heavily used road. Interruption of the flow through these bottlenecks, without providing alternative routes can result in major traffic problems not only the level crossing itself, but also at a much larger traffic spillover areas.

Level crossing users (vehicle passengers and drivers, and pedestrians) were similarly interviewed to solicit their reactions towards the project. Out of the 1199 respondents, 95% use the level crossing on a daily basis, while 5% used less than once a week. Alternatives for the level crossing users were not available for all respondents. Only 40% mentioned that they can identify and resort to nearby alternatives, whilst 60% stated that other available crossings are too far away for their use. On the other hand, 93% of the respondents accepted to resort to alternative crossings during the construction period compared to 5% who disagreed to resort to alternative (apparently to resort to illegal crossing of the tracks). Drivers and passengers of vehicles frequently using the level crossing often expected traffic problems when level crossing become partly or totally closed during construction. Certain level crossings are already heavily congested. Closing these crossings, partly or totally, even for a short period of time is expected to result in some traffic flow problems that require careful planning to mitigate.



Safety of pedestrians and vehicular traffic crossing the tracks at level crossings (or at informal crossing sites) is also an issue that should be taken into consideration. There are certain public safety risks associated with the construction process. These will include those related to the use of heavy construction equipment in areas accessible to the public, as well as the transportation and handling of construction material and larger items such as rails and sleepers through public area.



8.0 ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES

Two levels of analysis of alternatives have been undertaken. First a scenario of two alternatives is considered for each of the two project components; the project implementation alternative and the no action alternative. The two scenarios were analyzed and discussed at length in the two public consultation meetings. At the second level of analysis, the preferred alternative is subjected to further analysis of alternatives. In this analysis, the relative environmental and social merits of elements and activities of the selected project alternative are considered. These alternatives are evaluated and compared, and the optimal one selected. These may include alternative designs, construction methods, building material, and management systems, as appropriate.

8.1 Alternative 1: No action.

To continue operating the Cairo – Alexandria line with the existing signaling system, with its frequent breakdowns and inefficient operational capabilities places a major additional burden on the ENR's efforts to improve its services to the public and to overcome its major financial difficulties. Many of the present financial difficulties also stem from the frequent breakdowns of the existing systems, and the resulting uneconomical use of the lines and its equipment. It is expected that difficulties facing ENR will grow worse if not addressed now and will become more difficult and more costly to resolve without the implementation of the proposed project. Without the project, the railway service on the Cairo – Alexandria line will further deteriorate affecting the millions of users of that vital line.

For Component 2 of the project, the no action alternative is not an option. All track sections identified in the project should be replaced. Further deterioration in these sections will involve a great operation risk that ENR is and should not take.

8.2 Alternative 2: Implementation of the proposed project (Components 1 and 2).

The project will provide the badly needed modernization and replacement of elements of the outdated electromechanical signaling system along this most important railway line in the Egyptian railway network. The implementation of the project will benefit the very large number of users of that line, which averages of close to 120 million passengers per year according to ENR statistics. Once completed, the project will improve the railway service of the Cairo – Alexandria Line considerably. Positive impacts of the project on the railway service include the following:

- Improved train operation safety.



- Improved operation safety of level crossings.

- Reducing trip time as a result of increased train travel speed,

- Will allow more trains to safely use the line per unit time, and will reduce operational delays.

- Enhanced comfort as a result of smoother train movement and reduced noise levels.

Although the economic cost of the proposed project is relatively high, the ENR that the modernization of the existing, outdated system is highly justifiable to ensure the safe and efficient operation of the railway service along that line. On the other hand, the ENR sees the modernization of the signaling system as an inevitable action that has to be undertaken sooner or latter. The operation of the highly efficient modern system will also reduce cost of operation per traffic unit and will contribute to the ENR's efforts to reduce loses and increase revenue generating potential.

A number of negative impacts are expected during the construction phase of the project. These impacts are all temporary in nature, lasting only during the construction process and can be readily mitigated or tolerated.

The replacement of track sections is a necessary procedure in the normal maintenance of railway lines. According to ENR representatives and railway experts, the replacement of some of the sections is long overdue. As a precautionary measure, the ENR operates the trains at slower speeds in track sections based on their conditions. This often results in longer trip times and considerable delays, particularly when large sections of the tracks are in poor conditions as is the case of the Cairo – High Dam and the Banha – Zagazig lines. The adoption of the slow train travel speed tactics along the deteriorating lines adversely affect the economics of the use of the line as fewer trains can use it per unit time. Replacing the sections will allow the trains to operate at the track design speed and hence a more efficient use of the tracks by allowing more trains to use the tracks per day. It will also contribute to allowing passengers, faster, safer, less noisy and more comfortable train service. Replacing track sections is an absolute necessity that is unavoidable in the normal operations of any railway system.

Adverse, but temporary impacts are expected to occur during the construction process. Most of these impacts can be mitigated, and the expected improvement in the rail service as a result of the proposed project greatly outweigh any expected residual impacts

Project elements and activities that are expected to result in these negative impacts are herein considered in terms of possible alternatives.

1. Construction scheduling:



Alternative a: Work to proceeded on several sites in parallel to reduce the total construction time.

According to this alternative, construction activities will be scheduled to allow working in parallel on several elements of this activity along the entire line. While this will shorten the total construction time and minimize the duration of adverse impact associated with these activities, it may considerably intensify the severity of some of the expected impacts. For instance, train delays as a result of reducing speed at several construction areas will be one of the negative aspects of this alternative.

Alternative b: Construction work to proceed on fewer sites in parallel to reduce intensity of construction-related impacts.

This alternative will restrict construction activities to small sector of the corridor at any given time, thus reducing the negative impacts of construction considerably. It will however, extend the duration required to complete the project.

Alternative c: Construction work to proceed intensively on predefined, relatively large "construction sectors" of the line, one at a time, to minimize generalized impacts and to allow their better management.

This alternative calls for dividing the Arab El Raml – Alexandria line into small number of "construction sectors" and to implement all construction activities in each sector at the same time before starting in a new sector. Concentrating all construction activities at each of these sectors will restrict most of the adverse impacts to smaller, more manageable section, allowing better management of these impacts. As most of the train delays will be caused by the de-acceleration and acceleration of trains approaching and leaving a construction area, larger construction sectors of the corridor will result in shorter delays than several, smaller construction sites scattered along the length of the line. The definition of the construction sectors can take into account the fact that a delay of about 30 minutes in the Cairo – Alexandria trip time was perceived as acceptable by most of the users of that line.

2. Transportation of construction material and waste.

Alternative a: Construction material and waste will mostly transported using trucks.

This will contribute to traffic congestion problems particularly in areas close to construction sites.

Alternative b: Construction material and waste will mostly transported using trains as much as practically possible.



This will mitigate potential traffic problems that might be caused by using trucks. Material may be transported from point of origin to nearest railway terminal equipped for loading and unloading of such material. It will then be transported by trains to or from construction sites.

3. Track installation.

Alternative a: Standard, 18 m track sectors will be transported on flat train cars from central ENR warehouses to construction sites, laid and welded in place.

This alternative will allow easier handling of the rails but will generate more pollution during the extensive welding process. The process of track installation will require more, on-site working time.

Alternative b: Rail assembling and welding into 250 m segments will be undertaken in ENR's workshop.

The long segments of pre-welded, pre-shaped rails will be transported to installation sites on flat train cars. Installation will require less time on construction site, and hence less delay in train operation. Less welding will be done at the construction sites, reducing potential for hazardous emissions.



9.0 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN

The Environmental Management Plan (EMP) developed to ensure the effective and sustainable mitigation of the adverse impacts of the project covers the following three components:

9.1 Institutional Aspects

The ENR does not have in its present organizational structure, the institutional capability to undertaking environmental management duties (Annex 8). Implementation of the environmental management plan and its mitigation measures requires the establishment of an effective institutional entity to undertake environmental management and monitoring activities. That institutional entity should be equipped with the necessary legal and administrative tools, and provided with trained staff and proper equipment to undertake its mandate. In this section, a suggested structure for that institutional entity; to be named the Environmental Affairs Directorate (EAD) is presented and discussed.

The need to establish an environmental affairs directorate has been discussed with senior ENR officials. The ESIA team was informed that Ministry of Transport is currently considering the creation of a Health and Safety Directorate. One person has already been recruited, and others are to follow. In addition to its mandate relating to health and safety issues, the new directorate will be responsible for environmental management aspects in all departments and organizations of the ministry including the ENR. The following guidelines (summarized in Table 18) for the establishment of an environmental directorate at ENR is presented below in case the ENR would decide to establish such a specialized directorate.

9.1.1 Guiding principles for the establishment of the Environmental Affairs Directorate.

The foundation for proper integration of environmental issues into the day to day management and operations of the ENR is the establishment of an institutional structure, to be integrated into the present ENR organizational structure with environmental protection and management being its main objective. The introduction of that institutional structure, will not, on its own, ensure the fulfillment of that objective. The adoption by the leadership of the ENR and the Ministry of Transport of the need of proper environmental management of ENR's operations as one of their key objectives, and the delegation of adequate authorities to the environmental management institutional entity to fulfill its mission in managing and protecting the environment are key to the success of that entity in fulfilling its mission. The work of the environmental management



institutional entity should not be considered as a mere work assignment, but rather a mission that deserves the support of the ENR management, who should dedicate time and effort to monitor and encourage the progress and evolution of its capability. Awareness raising activities among different levels of the human resources of the ENR and their affiliates (including contractors, consultants, advisors, etc) of the environment as an issue that deserves the interest and attention, should be planned and implemented.

To realize the functional elements of a successful institutional and organizational structure, the following should be undertaken:

The organizational position of the proposed Environmental Affairs Directorate should be directly linked to the highest possible administrative level in the ENR. It should be one of so called "monitoring and control agencies" which normally report directly to the highest managerial authority.

The high administrative level of the environmental management directorate in ENR should also be reflected in the administrative positions and qualifications of its staff. It is suggested that the Director of that directorate should be at least at the "General Director" level.

Make available staff with high degrees in different disciplines related to environmental management. It should be noted that the directorate should be staffed with a small number of highly qualified individuals. A staff of only two to three individuals (with one supervising the other one or two members), in addition to the director is suggested.

Emphasize the importance of the integration of mandates and activities of the directorate regarding the development, dissemination, monitoring and enforcement of environmental standards, rules and regulations. This implies that the directorate's activities should include all issues related to the environment ranging from contributing to the planning and human resources development activities to the monitoring and inspection of environmental aspects of operational activities. The directorate is not expected to be able to undertake all these activities single handedly with its small staff. It should, therefore seek to develop technical extensions in different executive divisions or at different geographical regions that can assist in monitoring operational activities on the ground. These EAD field inspectors, who will be affiliated with other ENR departments will require special training to be able to perfor their duties in the day to day monitoring of ENR environmental performance.



In support of these guiding principles, and to achieve the integration of the institutional organizations in environmental management activities the following are suggested:

Giving proper attention to environmental awareness activities in collaboration with the EEAA, which can provide awareness material and technical assistance, the ENR and the EAD should prepare and print awareness material for use dissemination to the ENR staff and the public using the railway service. EAD can seek and obtain technical assistance in implementing environmental awareness activities from the EEAA or expert help from private consultants.

EAD should assign a representative at each geographical division of the ENR or in every major project the ENR is implementing. The representative should liaison between the EMD and these entities and should be responsible for monitoring environmental issues on day to day basis, reporting his/her findings to the EAD.

An Environmental Affairs Committee should be created within the ENR. This committee should have representations from the EAD, as well as the directories of project management, planning, contracting, and legal affairs. The committee should review, adopt and authorize the application of rules, regulations, and procedures developed by the EAD.

The above guiding principles represent key components that should be considered when developing the institutional basis for environmental management responsibilities in the ENR. Annex 9 presents a sample administrative procedure for the establishment of EAD. Training needs will be determined on the basis of the educational background and experience of candidates for different EAD positions. Table 18 shows steps in the establishment of EAD.



Table 18. Institutional strengthening and training for implementation requirements

Responsibilities Institutional Strengthening Activity

Position(s)

Implementation Supervision

Cost Estimates (LE)

Establishing the Environmental Affairs Directorate (EAD) of the ENR.

Director Environmental Engineer/Manager Environmental Specialist Environmental Specialist

Institutional capacity building consultant


Training of EAD staff Director Environmental Engineer/Manager Environmental Specialist Environmental Specialist



Environmental awareness ENR general staff EAD site inspectors

Public awareness and environmental consultant


Training of environmental inspectors

Staff of different ENR departments and operations regions





9.2 Environmental and Social Aspects

Most of the adverse impacts of the project are expected to occur during the construction phase. Elements of the environmental/social impact mitigation plan are described in detail below and summarized in Table 19.

9.2.1 Construction phase impacts

a. Installation of communication and power cables, block systems, interlocking equipment, track-side signals, automated level crossing systems and signaling equipment.

b. Construction of new dispatcher towers and renovation of existing dispatcher towers and the CTC building in Tanta

Impacts associated with these activities are dust and noise generation from the construction activities, as well as from vehicles and equipment. They also include Hazardous emissions (e.g. asphalting and emission resulting from the operation of vehicles and other equipment)

The extent of these impacts varies according the magnitude and type of construction. The following mitigation measures are required and should be included in the construction tender documents and subsequent construction contracts:

1. Excavation and construction material should be covered so as to minimize spillage and generation of dust.

2. As much as practically possible, construction matrial and waste should be transported to and from construction sites using cargo trains.

3. Vehicles delivering construction material to, or removing construction waste from the work sites, should be covered to avoid material spillage.

4. Vehicles uploading material should maintain the lowest possible fall height to reduce noise and dust generation.

5. All construction activities should be carried out during the day time hours to minimize noise disturbance to communities near work sites.

6. Workers exposed to noise exceeding permissible levels (e.g. ballast uploading) should wear hearing protection.

7. No exposed, hot power cables should be left unattended at any time.

8. Construction waste should be disposed of at dumpsites designated by local governments



9. Storage of construction material should be allowed only at ENR designated sites or ENR's storage yards in a way that will not affect traffic or pose any risk to communities adjacent to the railway corridors.

c. Removal and transportation of old tracks (rails, sleepers, contaminated ballast basalt).

d. Transportation and installation of tracks (rails, concrete sleepers, ballast basalt), and compacting of embankment.

Impacts associated with these activities are dust and noise generation from the construction activities, as well as from vehicles and equipment. They also include Hazardous emissions (e.g. rail welding and emission resulting from the operation of heavy equipment). Transportation, disposal, and/or decontamination of old ballast material, if improperly done, may potentially result in local pollution with oil and other material mixed with ballast basalt. Improper dumping of this material, if allowed, will also cause a major visual nuisance.

Required mitigation measures that should be included in the construction tender documents and subsequent construction contracts consist of the following:

1. Noise levels and frequency of incidence should be kept below permissible level as much as feasible, with noisy activities to be restricted to day time.

2. As much as practically possible, construction material and waste should be transported to and from construction sites using cargo trains.

3. No ballast material shaking should be allowed at the construction sites.

4. Old, often contaminated ballast basalt should be removed to a government designated dumpsite for disposal or for decontamination for future use. Contractor should provide official documentations supporting the proper, environmentally acceptable disposal of used ballast at a government designated dump site.

5. Transportation of old ballast should be only in covered tracks to avoid spillage.

6. Construction material should be covered so as to minimize spillage and generation of dust.

7. Vehicles delivering construction material to, or removing construction waste from the work sites, should be covered to avoid material spillage.

8. Vehicles uploading material should maintain the lowest possible fall height to reduce noise and dust generation.

9. All construction activities should be carried out during the day time to minimize noise disturbance to communities near work sites.



10. Workers exposed to noise exceeding permissible levels (e.g. ballast uploading) should wear hearing protection.

11. Construction waste should be disposed of at dumpsites designated by local governments

12. Storage of construction material should be allowed only at ENR designated sites or ENR's storage yards in a way that will not affect traffic or pose any risk to communities adjacent to the railway corridors.

The following measures should be strictly observed by ENR construction crews

13. Old rails, wooden sleepers, and other reusable track components should be stored only at proper storage ENR yards.

14. Vehicles or train cars delivering construction material to, or removing construction waste from the work sites, should be covered to avoid material spillage.

15. Storage of track units or construction material should be allowed on ENR's storage yards in a way that will not affect traffic or pose any risk to communities adjacent to the railway corridors.

16. As much as practically feasible, pre-welded track sections should be used to minimize on-site welding activities, hence reducing construction time and pollution resulting from welding work.

e. Reduction of train speed at construction sites

Impacts associated with these activities are longer train trip time and unexpected train delays. Some train users may become forced to use other, more costly modes of transportation. In addition, shifting to other transportation modes will reduce the number of train passengers, reducing demand on goods and services offered by businesses in the vicinity of train stations.

The following mitigation measures are required and should be reflected in construction contracts:

1. Construction scheduling should be negotiated with the contractors and authorized by the ENR to minimize train delays and associated adverse impacts. A construction schedule based on restricting work to one of a number of pre-determined construction sector at one time (Alternative 2c in the Analysis of Alternatives section of this report) should be a scheduling requirement. The expected "scheduled trip delay" should not exceed about 30 minutes.



2. Train re-scheduling should be undertaken, taking into account the expected delays and showing new departure and arrival times during the construction work

3. In cases where extended, significant train delay becomes unavoidable, a plan for making alternative means of transportation available should be considered and possibly negotiated with other MoT departments, local governments or private transportation contractor. This may include augmenting services on relevant public bus lines, creating a scheme of incentives for micro-bus and taxi services to operate at affected areas, or directly engaging a private transportation contractor to provide a temporary replacement of the interrupted service using ENR's passenger services infrastructure.

f. Construction at level crossings, with partial or complete closure of the crossing to pedestrian and vehicle traffic

Impacts associated with this activity are increased traffic congestion at certain level crossings, interrupting normal movement of people and goods, and increased illegal track crossing. Impacts also include traffic congestion or reduced traffic flow in areas leading to or from level crossings. This, in turn, will temporarily increase noise and air pollution with vehicle emission of slow moving vehicles. It will also cause problems due to delay in arrival to work, schools, etc.

The following mitigation measures should be included in the construction contracts:

1. Work should be so planned as to avoid the complete blockage of any level crossing, as much as practical.

2. Concentrating work in level crossings during times of reduced traffic, possibly during the night, as long as noise level can be kept at an legally permissible level.

3. In cases where a level crossing has to be completely closed during construction, an alternative crossing should be identified and advertised to the public in advance. Traffic detours will have to be clearly marked and provided with proper direction signage for incoming traffic.

4. Law enforcement authorities (Traffic Police) should take charge of controlling vehicular and pedestrian traffic flow and preventing illegal track crossings

9.2.2 Operation and maintenance phase impacts

Operation of trains at increased travel speeds as expected following the completion of the signaling modernization and the replacement of old tracks will increase the risk of accidents at level crossings. Risk of accidents will particularly increase to pedestrians crossing at informal crossings which occur in many places all along the lines. This is



particularly the case at areas where deteriorating track or signal conditions have, for years required that trains travel at much reduced speeds. Users of informal crossings at these areas who have grown accustomed to the slow train speeds will be exposed to a much great risk with the faster trains. Awareness raising effort will be essential to reduce this risk.

Required mitigation measures are as follows:

- Management of vehicle and pedestrian traffic at level crossings should be improved.

- Protective walls of railway corridor in densely populated area should be repaired and regularly inspected and maintained to prevent informal crossing.

- A public awareness campaign on railway safety should be designed and implemented,

No other significant adverse impacts are expected of the operation of the proposed new signaling system and track replacement.



Table 19. Potential environmental and social impacts of the project activities during the construction and operation phases and their proposed mitigation measures.

Institutional

Responsibilities Project Activity Potential

Environmental /Social Impacts



Cost Estimates

(LE)

Comments

Construction Phase Construction activities at areas accessible to the public.

Safety risk to the public at or near construction sites.

- Construction sites closed to the public.

Contractor EAD ENR


- Installation of communication and power cables, block systems, interlocking equipment, track-side signals, automated level crossing systems and signaling equipment

- Excavation work - Removal of old cables - Disposal of old cables - Installation of optic

fibers cables - Installation of power

cables - Storage and disposal of

construction solid waste

Dust and noise generation from construction activities, vehicles and equipment

- Excavation and construction material should be covered to minimize spillage and dust generation. - Vehicles delivering construction material or waste to, or from the work sites, should be covered to avoid material spillage. - Vehicles uploading material should maintain the lowest possible fall height to reduce noise and dust generation. - All construction activities should be carried out during the day time to minimize noise disturbance to communities near work sites. - Workers exposed to noise exceeding permissible levels should wear hearing protection. - No exposed, hot power cables should be left unattended at any time. - Construction waste should be disposed of at dumpsites designated by local governments





Table 19, continued

Institutional

Responsibilities


and Social Impacts



Cost Estimates

(LE)

Comments

Construction Phase - Construction of new dispatcher towers and renovation of existing dispatcher towers and the CTC building in Tanta

- Dust and noise generation from construction activities, vehicles and equipment - Hazardous emissions (e.g. asphalting), operation of vehicles and other equipment)

- Construction material and waste should be covered to minimize generation of dust. - Vehicles delivering construction material to, or removing construction waste should be covered to avoid material spillage and dust generation. - Fall height for truck downloading of construction sand and other material shall be minimized to reduce noise and dust generation. - All construction activities should be carried out during the daylight hours to minimize noise disturbance to communities near work sites.. - Workers exposed to noise exceeding permissible levels should use hearing protection. - Storage of construction material should be allowed on ENR's storage yards in a way that will not affect traffic or pose any risk to communities adjacent to the railway corridors.





Table 19, continued

Institutional

Responsibilities


and Social Impacts



Cost Estimates

(LE)

Comments

Construction Phase - Removal and transportation of old tracks (rails, sleepers, contaminated ballast basalt). - Transportation and installation of tracks (rails, concrete sleepers, ballast basalt), and compacting of embankment.

- Noise and dust generation. - Hazardous emissions (e.g. fumes from rail welding and operation of vehicles and other equipment). Risk to public safety at construction sites.

- Noise levels and frequency of incidence should be kept below permissible level as much as feasible, with noisy activities to be restricted to day time. - Old rails, wooden sleepers, and other reusable track components should be stored only at proper storage ENR yards. - No ballast basalt shaking should be allowed at the construction sites. - Old, often contaminated ballast basalt should be removed to a government designated dumpsite for disposal or for decontamination for future use. - Transportation of old ballast should be only in covered tracks to avoid spillage. - Construction sites should be closed to the public.





Table 19, continued

Institutional

Responsibilities


and Social Impacts



Cost Estimates

(LE)

Comments

Construction Phase Reduction of train speed at work sites

- Longer train trip time - Unexpected train delays

- Construction scheduling should be negotiated with the contractors to minimize train delays. - Train re-scheduling should be undertaken taking into account the expected delays and showing new departure and arrival times during the construction work - A plan for making alternative means of transportation available in case of significant train delay should be developed and implemented.

ENR Contractor

- MoT - ENR - EAD


- Some train users may become forced to use other, more costly mode of transportation. - Shifting to other transportation modes will reduce the number of train passengers, reducing demand on goods and services offered by businesses in the vicinity of train stations.



Table 19, continued

Institutional

Responsibilities


and Social Impacts



Cost Estimates

(LE)

Comments

Construction Phase - Construction at level crossings (Partial or complete closure of the crossing to pedestrian and vehicle traffic)

Increased traffic congestion at certain level crossings - Interrupting normal movement of people and goods. - Increased illegal track crossing.

- Work should be so planned as to avoid the complete blockage of level crossing, as much as practical. - Concentrating work in level crossings during times of reduced traffic, possibly during the night, as long as noise level can be kept at an acceptable level. - In cases where a level crossing has to be completely closed during construction, an alternative crossing should be identified and advertised to the public in advance. Traffic detours will have to clearly marked and provided with proper direction signage for incoming traffic. - Law enforcement authorities (Traffic Police) should take charge of controlling vehicular and pedestrian traffic flow and preventing illegal track crossings

Contractor ENR

- EAD - Local law enforcement authorities (Traffic Police)


- Traffic congestion or reduced traffic flow in areas leading to or from level crossings. This, in turn, will temporarily increase noise and air pollution with vehicle emission of slow moving vehicles. - Delay to work



Table 19, continued

Institutional

Responsibilities

Project Activity

Potential Environmental

and Social Impacts



Cost Estimates

(LE)

Comments

Operation and Maintenance Phase Accidents due to inadequate traffic and pedestrian control at level crossings.

Improving control of traffic and pedestrian crossing at level crossings.

EAD

Railway Police

Traffic Police

ENR

_ Training of operators of trains and signaling system


EAD ENR Should be covered as part of the project contract

Operation of trains at increased travel speeds.

Accidents due to illegal pedestrian crossing


EAD ENR 600,000 The campaign should be implemented in parallel with the construction phase of the project.

Operation and maintenance of automated signaling system

None _ EAD ENR To be covered as part of the project contract


Operation of track line None _ EAD ENR To be covered as part of the project contract




9.3 Monitoring Plan

Elements of the proposed monitoring plan are discussed below and summarized in Table 20.

Noise, air quality and workplace health and safety monitoring.

The application of the following mitigation measures need to be monitored throughout construction activity:

1. Measures for minimizing dust generation.

2. Measures for minimizing noise generation (including disallowing ballast sifting at the site).

3. Proper storage of construction material and dismantled track components

4. Measures for safe disposal of solid waste (including old ballast basalt).

5. Daily work schedule

6. Measures to protect work environment

The following should be specifically monitored by EAD staff and site inspectors operating at each of the construction sites.

1. application of dust suppression measures

2. application of noise suppression measures

3. application of workers' health and safety procedures

4. adherence to work schedule

5. disposal of construction waste practice

To ensure the effectiveness of these measures, complaints made by the public, their representatives, government environmental inspectors, or members of work crew should be investigated and reported to EAD on a daily basis. A log of these complaints should constitute an important means for monitoring not only the extent of adherence to mitigation plan, but also the actual effectiveness of that plan.


This should be negotiated with the construction contractor before signing the contract. EAD site inspectors should monitor contractor's adherence to construction schedule. An



inspector should visit each construction site at least once every two weeks and report his/her findings to the EAD.

Train re-scheduling during construction work, taking into account expected delay is one of the key mitigation measures, EAD site inspectors should check at least once every two weeks to see if revised train schedule has been issued and adequately announced to and applied. The site inspector should also record train delays if any, and check and record passengers' complaints.

In cases where major delay in the operation of any sector of the line for extended periods of time becomes unavoidable, ENR should consider negotiating with other departments of the Ministry of Transport, local governments or an independent contractor feasible means for providing alternative means of transportation. The adequacy of this emergency transportation should be monitored by EAD site inspectors. Passengers' complaints should be validated and reported to EAD.

ENR should negotiate with the construction contractor construction plans for level crossings to avoid complete crossing blockage whenever possible. The plan should seek to concentrate work, whenever feasible, during times of reduced traffic. The plan should clearly assign alternative crossing routes based on adequate traffic analysis. Law enforcement authorities (Traffic Police) should take charge of controlling vehicular and pedestrian traffic flow and preventing illegal track crossings. EAD site inspectors and staff should monitor traffic flow condition across level crossings and their vicinity on daily basis when work is affecting important level crossings. EAD Staff and site inspectors should report the traffic conditions to EAD, and ENR management.



Table 20. Monitoring plan.

Responsibilities



Location Measurements

Frequency of Measurement


Cost (LE)

Construction Phase - Measures for minimizing dust generation. - Measures for minimizing noise generation (including disallowing ballast sifting at the site). - Proper storage of construction material and dismantled track components - Measures for safe disposal of solid waste (including old ballast basalt). - Daily work schedule - Measures to protect work environment - Construction site is closed to the public

Check - application of dust suppression measures - application of noise suppression measures - application of workers' health and safety procedures, including closing the site to the public. - adherence to work schedule - disposal of construction waste practice. - complaints of noise, dust or other air pollution recorded and validated

Construction sites

- Health and safety inspection protocol - Review weekly logs of complaints of noise, dust and other air pollution

Weekly

- Contractor - EAD site inspectors

- EAD - ENR

- Training EAD staff (120,000) - Training EAD site inspectors (250,000) - Institutional capacity building consultant's fees (150,000)


Adherence to construction schedule

Construction sites

Adherence to schedule

Bi-monthly - Contractor - EAD site inspectors

- EAD - ENR

_



Table 20, continued

Responsibilities





Cost (LE)

Construction Phase, continued Train re-scheduling during construction work

Revised train schedule announced and applied

Train stations - Train delays - Passengers' complaints recorded

Bi-monthly - EAD site inspectors

- EAD - ENR

_

- Alternative means of transportation developed and implemented

Availability and cost of alternative transportation

Selected population centers (e.g. Cairo, Tanta, Assuit)

- Transportation cost - Average trip time - Passengers' complaints recorded

Bi-monthly EAD site inspectors

- EAD - ENR

_

Planning construction work on level crossings to - avoid complete crossing blockage. - concentrate work during times of reduced traffic. - assign alternative crossing routes. - Law enforcement authorities (Traffic Police) should take charge of controlling vehicular and pedestrian traffic flow and preventing illegal track crossings

- Traffic flow across level crossings and their vicinity.

- Selected level crossings and population centers.

Extent of traffic congestion at crossings. Complaints of crossing users and other citizens recorded.

Daily at construction

sites

- Contractor - EAD Site Inspectors

- EAD - ENR - relevant traffic department

_



Table 20, continued

Responsibilities





Cost (LE)

Operation Phase Improving control of traffic and pedestrian crossing at level crossings.

Management of traffic and pedestrian crossing at level crossings.

Level crossings along the two project lines

Control and safety aspects

Every three months

EAD ENR -


Conditions of railway corridor walls

Densely populated areas along the two project lines


EAD ENR -


Frequency of illegal crossing at formal and informal crossing sites.

Selected sample level crossings and informal crossing sites.


EAD ENR -

1

Annex 1

Public Consultation Meetings

2

List of institutions participating in public consultation meetings

.

Non-Governmental Associations ت أه��

Assuite Businessmen Association ل أ��ط� ر��ل أ��

Egyptian Women Association أة ا��ا� �� ی

Earth Association ا�رض ��

Street Foods Association, Minya �� رغ�� ا�� أ��

Community Development and Protection

of Youth from Addiction Association ا�&%$ و"�ی ا��! م� ��' ��

ا*دم�ن

Arab Women Association أة�ا� را�+�� ا��

Furure Eve Association ,-.%/اء ا��" م�1/

Samalute Women Leaders Association �2ط� رواد ��3�.4 5��

South Town Association ��ب ا�6ی��

Friends of Homeland Development

Association ��%2� �� أص�86ء ا��

Educational Institutions �� م�ه

El Sadat Secondary School, Minya �� م6ر� ا�/�دات ا�:��ی

El Minya University ��ا� ��م�

Governmental Agencies ال��ت ال��م��

Local Government <2=ا�=?< ا�

Egyptian National Railways 6ی6 م��" @?� Aه�

Ministry of Social Affairs ��1ن ا*�%�Aوزارة ا�

3

Newspaper advertisement of public consultation meetings (Al Ahram, 30 March

2008).

5

Annex 2

Preliminary signaling layout plan

passenger

services calling

per direction

No passenger

service

18 trains calling

per day

No passenger

service

18 trains calling

per day

No passenger

service

3 Tanta-

Damanhour

3 Tanta-

Damanhour

existing box Electro-mech Electro-mech Electro-mech Electro-mech Electro-mech Electro-mech Electro-mech Electro-mech

� � SL MENUF

New 11kV New 11kV

48.750

Benha

Cairo

49.236

Military fuelling area

Berkhet S. bridge EL Dalgamon bridge

67.900 101.550

Basecase

EIS 1 - 27 points EIS 2 - 22 points

Keys : Power supply

Directional locking on block interval � exisiting 11kV/380V sub station

(2 arrows => normal running) 11kV

Arab El Raml (Dn) Passenger additional station tracks

Bi-directional locking (inside a station) � new 11kV/380V Kuesna (Up) (overtaken while serving a station)

New 11kV Berkhet El Sabe

ARAB EL RAML Tanta

cross-overs Kafr El Zayat

EIS New equipment Etay El Barood

Damanhour

New equipment for contraflow Abu Homus

Kafr El Dawar

GC Kept equipment Abis

Swgg bridge 101.550

SYSTRA mimic revision 6 - dated 06.03.2008 : Operation proposals for the base case

Index7

Operational optimization agreed by ENR on March the 6th

Removed tracks, signalling boxes &

ABU MASHUR

73,6

BERKET EL SABE

68,4 Km

KUESNA

56,8 KmARAB EL RAML

53,0

SHUBRA EL NAMLA KAFR DIEMA

93 Km 98,1 Km

EL DALGAMON

101,4 Km

TAMBESHA

62,1

Title of the document : PROJECT COST ESTIMATION FOR MODERNIZATION OF

SIGNALING SYSTEM BETWEEN ARAB EL RALM AND ALEXANDRIA

7 Cairo-Alex

3 Tanta-

Damanhour

No passenger

service

No passenger

service

20 Cairo-Alex

20 Manashi-Etay

4 Tanta-

Damanhour

3 Tanta-

Damanhour

3 Tanta-

Damanhour

3 Tanta-

Damanhour

3 Tanta-

Damanhour

GC 64 routes Electro-mech Electro-mech Electro-mech Electro-mech CTC - GC GC 100 routes Electro-mech Electro-mech E.Mec 30 routes Electro-mech

SL MENUF � SL MANASHY �11kV 11kV

660 m 650 m

660 m

military fuelling area

660 m

EL Dalgamon bridge

El Tawfiikiya bridge

109.850

Kafr E. Z bridge

104.300

EIS 3 - 29 + 8 points Geog. circuitry (controlled by VDU + keyboard)

existing +2 new points + 2 shunting routes

Pending items: Signalling & trap points to add for contraflow routes reaching the swinging bridges

Board (contraflow entrance) to add to signal giving the contraflow direction for the driver to know his direction and the right hand location of signals.

Stencil + rear light

Board (end of contraflow) to add to signal giving the end of contraflow direction for the driver to know his direction and the left hand location of signals.

Passenger additional station tracks Km 68 Berkhet El Sabe Stencil + rear light

(overtaken while serving a station) Km 86 Tanta (Y) display indication to add to signal giving the contraflow direction for the train to be 30 km/h speed limited on crossover + 800 meters

Km 122 Etay El Barood (Y) display indication to add to signal giving the end of the contraflow direction for the train to be 30 km/h speed limited on crossover + 800 meters

Km 146 Damanhour (Y) indication will be monitored also by ATPStencil + rear light

Km 163 Abu Homus Damanhour, no spare for Domino, lamps etc for the GC towers (dixit Siemens) to be replzaced with IES technologyBoard to add to signal giving the end of the contraflow direction for the driver to know his direction and theleft hand location of next signals.

Km 181 Kafr El Dawar Letter from Alstom to confirm the procurment of NS1 relay during the next yearsStencil + rear light

Km 203 Sidi Gaber ENR to repair their point machines for procurment inside their network or to sell them outside?

Telephone sockets on signal masts

Agreement to keep staff on track for tokenless purposes and for signal faults and following procedures

Y indication + speedboard above the signal to allow train to arrive on an occupied platform at termini (Alexandria)

All main signals should be monitored on the display panel with 2 colours as well as all track circuits

Operation department to focus on Alexandria and Damanhour to reduce crossouts and routes.

All signals on main line to be replaced

EL DALGAMON

KAFR EL ZAYAT103 Km

EL TAWFIKIYA106 Km 110,9 Km

MINSHAT EL NASR115,5 Km

ABU SHADI118,9 Km

ETAY EL BAROOD

121,9 Km

KAFR MUSAID

127 Km

SAFT EL HORRIA

131 Km

DINSHAL

136,9 Km

OM DINAR

141 Km

KILO 106

dead end siding fuelling

50 m - 1 dwarf signal -

2 shunting routes

38 Cairo-Alex

4 Tanta-

Damanhour

15 Qalim-Desuq-

Damanhour

No passenger serviceNo passenger

service17 Cairo-Alex

No passenger

service

No passenger

service18 Cairo-Alex

No passenger

service

No passenger

service

GC 125 routes Electro-mech Electro-mech Electro-mech E.Mec 45 routes Electro-mech Electro-mech E.Mec 45 routes Electro-mech Electro-mech

� � �11kV New 11kV New 11kV

660m 640m

515 m

450 m 660 m 1000 m

DESOUQ

DL tokenless

EIS 4 - 53 points EIS 5 - 22 points EIS 6 - 14 points

Board (contraflow entrance) to add to signal giving the contraflow direction for the driver to know his direction and the right hand location of signals.

Board (end of contraflow) to add to signal giving the end of contraflow direction for the driver to know his direction and the left hand location of signals.

(Y) display indication to add to signal giving the end of the contraflow direction for the train to be 30 km/h speed limited on crossover + 800 meters

Board to add to signal giving the end of the contraflow direction for the driver to know his direction and theleft hand location of next signals.

OM DINAR

147 Km

DAMANHOUR

KOBRI

150,7 Km

EL BATALS

Salah Salem

155,3 Km

EZBET BOULAD

159,8 Km

ABU HOMUS

163 Km

DESUNIS170 Km

MAAMAL EL KIZAZ176 Km

KAFR EL DAWAR

181 Km

ELBEIDA188 Km

EZBET193 Km

No passenger

service

No passenger

service

45 Cairo-Alex

10 Abuqir-Alex

12 Matruh-Alex

12 Rashid-Alex

E.Mec 30 routes Electro-mech Electro-mech GC 28 routes GC 22 routes

QABBARY

DL tokenless � �11kV 11kV

700 m

700 m

SL EL ZAHRIA

EL MAMOURA

DL tokenless

Hagar E.N.bridge

200.900

EIS 7 - 16 + 8 + 4 + 28 points EIS 8 - 38 + 8 points

ABIS

198 Km

BOHAIRET EL HAGAR

200 Km HAGAR EL NAWAT

201 Km

SIDI GABER

203 Km

EL HADRA

205 Km

ALEXANDRIA

GC 93 routes

ALEXANDRIA

207 Km

MODERNIZATION OF SIGNALING SYSTEM

ON CAIRO-ALEXANDRIA AND CAIRO-HIGH DAM CORRIDORS

07 06/03/2008 JM GALIMONT G NORMAND Finalization of the optimization

agreed by ENR

06 05/03/2008 JM GALIMONT G NORMAND 4th proposal of optimization of the

layout and establishment of the boxes

05 22/02/2008 JM GALIMONT G NORMAND 3rd proposal of optimization of the


04 20/02/2008 JM GALIMONT G NORMAND 2nd proposal of optimization of the


03 09/02/2008 JM GALIMONT G NORMAND Removed tracks in green

instead of yellow

02 08/02/2008 JM GALIMONT G NORMAND 1st proposal of optimization of the


01 06/02/2008 JM GALIMONT G NORMAND Creation of the document

Index Date Established by Validation Descriptions and Comments

PRELIMINARY SIGNALLING LAYOUT

B - 1 - 0 2 - 2 0 3 - 0 2 - 0 0 1 - 0 7

Writer N° of the document IndexTask Line Discipline Type of document

File "B-1-02-203-02-001-07.doc"

ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT

MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT EGYPTIAN NATIONAL RAILWAYS

1

Annex 3

Level crossings of the Arab El Raml – Alexandria sector of the Cairo – Alexandria

Railway line.

2

a. Level crossings at the Arab El Raml – Alexandria railway line

Serial

No Level crossing

Location in track

km

Number

of lanes

Serial

No Level crossing

Location in

track km

Number

of lanes 1 Arab El-Raml 52.110 1 28 Kafr El-Ees Bahry 108.900 1

2 Al-Khadrawya 53.530 1 29 Al-Khandak Al-Sharky 109.900 1

3 El-Shekh Ibrahim 54.220 1 30 Al-Tawfekya 2 110.900 1

4 Quesna 56.800 2 31 Kafr Msaad 127.250 1

5 Abhnas 59.220 1 32 Safd Al-Horrya 131 1

6 Tnbasha 62.150 1 33 Gmbaway 134.400 1

7 Rateb 64.220 1 34 Al-Mohandes 137.663 1

8 Al-Atf 65.500 1 35 Om Dynar 141.485 1

9 Al-Mshroaa 66.500 1 36 Damnhour 145.844 1

10 Barket ElSbaa Al-Ardy 67.800 1 37 Sedi Ads 147.548 1

11 El-Sbaa K1 67.890 2 38 Sedky 147.947 1

12 Al-Mkaber 68.900 1 39 Al-Asnad 148.418 1

13 Al-Halfawya 70.420 1 40 Al-Khery 150.414 1

14 Al-Rowda 71.120 1 41 Salah Salem 155.325 1

15 Abou-Mashour 73.500 1 42 Boulad 159.800 1

16 Abou-Mashour AlBalad 75.600 1 43 Abou Al-Hams 163.060 1

17 Dafra 79.700 1 44 Al-Kenayea 165.300 1

18 Nafya 81.900 1 45 Al-Masry 167.105 1

19 Hylana 88.600 2 46 Dasnous 170.100 1

20 Kafr AlArab 90.200 1 47 Mamal Al-Kazaz 167.300 1

21 Shoubra Al-Namla 1 93.100 1 48 Al-Saranya 181.050 1

22 Shoubra Al-Namla 2 93.800 1 49 Kinky Osman 184.800 1

23 Kafr Dema 98.450 1 50 Al-Bayda 187.800 1

24 Hawees El-Dlgoman 101.100 1 51 Al-Omraa 191.300 1

25 K El-Dlgoman 101.600 1 52 Khourshed 193.569 1

26 Kafr El-Ees El-Kbly 105.000 1 53 Ezbet El-Shekh 195.714 1

27 Kfr Mgahed 107.450 1 54 El-Sabhya 200.138 1

3

b. Level crossing along the track replacement sections along the Cairo – High Dam and the Banha – Zagazig lines.

Serial

No Level crossing

Location in track

km

Number

of lanes

Serial

No Level crossing

Location in

track km

Number

of lanes 1 Al-Zaytoun 110.990 1 26 Awlad Gabara 493.180 1

2 Naser 115.700 1 27 Awlad Baheeg 494.420 1

3 Sherif Pasha 119.700 1 28 Al-Bandar Al-Mahta 495.660 1

4 Msnaa El-Naseeg 121.500 2 29 Kobri Gerga 499.660 1

5 Azmy 122.000 1 30 Gerga El-Bahry 501.980 1

6 6 of October 123.612 1 31 Gerga El-Kbly 501.940 1

7 Al-Madarees 124.048 1 32 Mahatet Gerga 502.360 1

8 Al-Gamrawy 125.350 1 33 Al-Rawafea 469.300 1

9 Al-Sadat 125.940 1 34 Balsafora El-Bahry 472.840 1

10 Aba ElWakf 187.625 1 35 Balsafora El-Kebly 473.950 1

11 El-Mawada 192.428 1 36 El-Esawea El-Mhata 477.360 1

12 Abou Goerge 194.068 1 37 El-Monsha 481.780 1

13 Bany Mazar 1 169.814 1 38 El-Monsha ElMahata 482.660 1

14 Al-Agmy 197.400 1 39 Kharkat El-Monsha 484.780 1

15 Bany Mazar 2 197.847 1 40 Al-Ahaewa Al-Mhata 487.360 1

16 Al-Kafour 203.811 1 41 Al-Aserat Al-Balad 491.840 1

17 Al-Maglees in Mataay 206.850 1 42 Awlad Gabara 493.180 1

18 Matay El-Kebly 207.464 1 43 Awlad Baheeg 494.420 1

19 Al-Moderya 467.540 1 44 Al-Bandar Al-Mahta 495.660 1

20 Al-Salkhana 467.880 1 45 Kobri Gerga 499.660 1

21 Al-Halaka 468.180 1 46 Mzata 506.240 1

22 El-Monsha ElMahata 482.660 1 47 Bardees 510.600 1

23 Kharkat El-Monsha 484.780 1 48 Al-Blesa 517.870 1

24 Al Ahaewa Al Mahata 487.360 5 49 Al Smta 519.780 1

25 Al-Aserat Al-Balad 491.840 1 50 Abou Shousha 525.360 1

4

Annex 4

A list of terrestrial fauna of the Nile Valley and Delta.

2

Common wild land animals recorded from project area.

Amphibians and reptiles

Bufo regulasris Bufo viridis Rana ridibuna

Trapelus flavimaculatus Acanthodactylus scutellatus Psammophis schokari

Trapelus pallida Mesalina guttulata Malpolon moilensis

Uromastyx aegyptius Mesalina rubropunctata Spalerosophis diadema

Certopodion scaber Chalcides ocellatus Telescopus dhara

Hemidactylus turcicus Sphenops sepsoides Cerastes cerastes

Ptyodactylus hasselquistii Mabuya quinquetaeniata Echis carinatus

Stenodactylus sthenodactylus Scincus scincus Echis coloratus

Tarentola annularis Chamaeleo chamaeleon Coluber rogersi

Tropiocolotes steudneri Acanthodactylus boskianus

3


Birds

Species Breeding

status

Species Breeding

status Neophron percnopterus RB, PV, WV Merops apiaster RB

Falco concolor MB, WV Merops superciliosus MB, PV

Falco tinnunculus RB, PV Ammomanes cincturus RB

Falco biarmicus RB, PV Ammomanes deserti RB

Ammoperdix heyi RB Galerida cristata RB

Chlamydotis undulata RB, WV Alaemon alaudipes RB

Burhinus oedicnemus RB, PV, WV Ptyonoprogne obsoleta RB

Cursorius cursor RB, PV, WV Pycnonotus barbatus RB

Pterocles senegallus RB Oenanthe lugens RB, (WV)

Pterocles coronatus RB Oenanthe monacha RB

Pterocles lichtensteinii RB Oenanthe leucopyga RB

Streptopelia senegalensis RB Scotocerca inquieta RB

Columba levia RB Scotocerca inquieta RB

Streptopelia turtur RB, PV Passer domesticus RB

Bubo bubo RB Corvus ruficollis RB

Athene noctua RB

4


Mammals

Hemiechinus auritus Psammomys obesus Canis lupaster

Rousettus aegyptiacus Sekeetamys calurus Felis silvestris

Rhinopoma hardwickei Rattus rattus Caracal caracal

Pipistrellus kuhlii Mus muscullus Capra nubiana

Lepus capensis Acomys russatus Gazella dorcas

Gerbillus gerbillus Acomys cahirinus Dipodillus dasyurus Jaculus jaculus Dipodillus henleyi Vulpes vulpes Meriones crassus V. rueppelli

Annex 5

. A list of common vascular plants of the Nile Valley and Delta

2

Common and threatened wild plant species of the project area.

Fresh and brackish water aquatic habitats

Elodea canadensis Eichhorina crassipes. Ruppia maritima v. rostrata

Marsilea aegyptiaca Potamogeton nodosus Zannichellia palustris

Najas armata Ranunculus saniculifolius

Swampy habitats

Phragmites australis Echinochloa stagnina Polygomum salicifolium

Typha domengesis Diplachne fusca P. senegalense

Juncus rigidus Jussiaea repens Paspalidium geminatum

Canal bank habitats

Acacia nilotica Tamarix arborea Conyza dioscordis

Ficus sycamorus Ziziphus spina-christi Cynodon dactylon

Melia azedarach Alhagi maurorum Desmostachya bipinnata

Morus alba Arthrocnemum glaucum Imperata cylindrica

M. nigra Arundo donax Panicum maximum

Salix safsaf Chenopodium ambrosioides Suaeda vermiculata

Desert habitats

Alhagi Maurorum Phoenix dactylifera Cyprus laevigatus

Desmostachya bipinnata Calligonum comosom Sporobolus spicatus

Tamarix aphyla. Sporobolus spicatus Nitraria retusa

Acacia raddiana Zygophyllum album Z. coccinium

Threatened plants

Aizoon hispanicum Bromus fasciculatus Cyperus fuscus

Atriplex rosea Echinochloa colonum Scirpus fistulosus

Abutilon pannosum E. crusgalli Ornithogalum trichophyllum

Polygonum obtusifolium Paspalidium obtusifolium Najas pectinata

Alopecurus myosuroides Fimbristylis ferruginea Cyperus fuscus

Myriophyllum spicatum Salix subserrata Tamarix passerinoides

Annex 5

. A list of common vascular plants of the Nile Valley and Delta

2

Common and threatened wild plant species of the project area.

Fresh and brackish water aquatic habitats

Elodea canadensis Eichhorina crassipes. Ruppia maritima v. rostrata

Marsilea aegyptiaca Potamogeton nodosus Zannichellia palustris

Najas armata Ranunculus saniculifolius

Swampy habitats

Phragmites australis Echinochloa stagnina Polygomum salicifolium

Typha domengesis Diplachne fusca P. senegalense

Juncus rigidus Jussiaea repens Paspalidium geminatum

Canal bank habitats

Acacia nilotica Tamarix arborea Conyza dioscordis

Ficus sycamorus Ziziphus spina-christi Cynodon dactylon

Melia azedarach Alhagi maurorum Desmostachya bipinnata

Morus alba Arthrocnemum glaucum Imperata cylindrica

M. nigra Arundo donax Panicum maximum

Salix safsaf Chenopodium ambrosioides Suaeda vermiculata

Desert habitats

Alhagi Maurorum Phoenix dactylifera Cyprus laevigatus

Desmostachya bipinnata Calligonum comosom Sporobolus spicatus

Tamarix aphyla. Sporobolus spicatus Nitraria retusa

Acacia raddiana Zygophyllum album Z. coccinium

Threatened plants

Aizoon hispanicum Bromus fasciculatus Cyperus fuscus

Atriplex rosea Echinochloa colonum Scirpus fistulosus

Abutilon pannosum E. crusgalli Ornithogalum trichophyllum

Polygonum obtusifolium Paspalidium obtusifolium Najas pectinata

Alopecurus myosuroides Fimbristylis ferruginea Cyperus fuscus

Myriophyllum spicatum Salix subserrata Tamarix passerinoides

Annex 6

Socioeconomic Profile of Selected Governorates

2

Annex 6

SOCIOECONOMIC PROFILE OF SELECTED GOVERNORATES

This section of the study provides a profile of human development in three governorates:

Gharbiya (Lower Egypt), Minya, and Sohag (Upper Egypt) with a specific focus on the

capital cities of each governorate. Each profile describes the governorate in terms of size

and population; natural resources; civil society and the economy. The profiles also

provide information on education, employment, health and the business sector. The

objective of these profiles is to provide a base for identifying potential negative impacts

of planned development interventions, the population which might be affected, and

accordingly, to develop appropriate mitigating measures.

GHARBIYA GOVERNORATE

General

Gharbiya Governorate occupies the central part of the Nile Delta in Lower Egypt between

the Damietta and Rosetta branches of the Nile River. It is bounded by the Governorates

of Kafr El Sheikh to the north, Al-Menoufiya to the south, Al-Dakahlia and Al-

Qalioubiya to the east, and Al-Beheira to the west.

The governorate of Gharbiya covers an area of 19400 square km. According to the latest

CAPMAS statistics, Gharbiya has a total population of 4 million, representing 5.6% of

the country’s total population, with 1.9 million of females and 2.1 million males.

Gharbiya has a population growth rate of 1.77, which is relatively low compared to other

Delta governorates. Among the total population, 35% is below 15 years of age. Table 1

illustrates the percent distribution of Gharbiya’s population by age.

Table 1: Percent Distribution of Gharbiya’s Population by Age.

# Age Range

(years)

Percentage of Total Population

1 < 6 12.33%

2 6 – 10 6.22%

3 10 – 15 9.87%

4 15 – 45 49.53%

5 45 – 60 14.6%

6 > 60 6.46%

Two thirds of Gharbiya’s population live in rural areas, with 25.7% of its total population

residing in Al-Mahala Al-Kobra. Table 2 shows the population distribution over the

various Markazs of Gharbiya. According to the Ministry of Local Development’s latest

3

statistics, Gharbiya is is administratively divided into 8 Markazs, 8 cities, 4

neighborhoods, 53 local units, 318 mother villages and 1249 hamlets.1

Table 2Population Distribution of the Various Districts of Gharbiya.

# District Percentage

1 Tanta 24%

2 Al-Santah 9%

3 Al- Mahala Al-Kobra 26%

4 Kafr Al Zayat 10%

5 Quotour 7%

6 Samanoud 7%

7 Zefta 11%

8 Bassioum 6%

Agriculture is the governorate’s primary productive sector. About 394,900 feddans are

cultivated in Gharbiya, employing 27% of the governorate’s labor force. In addition,

764,000 feddans are considered crop-cultivated area representing 5.2% of the country’s

total crop area.

Gharbiya has eleven villages known for their special products: Al-Zahabien is known for

textile production; Al-Gafaria, Shandabasat, Katabia, and Kom Al-Nagar are known for

furniture production; Shabra Malas is known for linen production; Kafr Al Da’yda for

lingerie production; Shobra Belawla for extracting Jasmine oil; Shobra Malakan and Saft

Torab are known for handicrafts; and finally Shabshier El Hesa is known for honey

production2.

Greenhouses covering approximately 35 feddans are cultivated in Gharbiya Governorate,

mainly in Al-Mahala Al Kobra. Animal production is almost entirely controlled by the

private sector. Gharbiya produces 36,800 tons of meat annually. Qoutour Markaz is

ranked first (31%) in terms livestock ownership, while Zefta Markaz is ranked last (4%).

In addition, Gharbiya has 105,000 heads of cattle, 60,000 sheep and 36,400 goats, of

which 25% are located in Al-Mahala Al Kobra Markaz. Gharbiya produces an average of

97.8 million chicks and 137.8 million eggs per year, of which 94.1% are exclusively

produced in Tanta Markaz. In addition, Gharbiya has 19 rabbit farms producing a total of

10,800 rabbits per year; and 110 duck farms, producing 699,200 ducks per year. Tanta

Markaz produces about 25% of the governorate’s rabbit production, as well as 83.4% of

its duck production. Gharbiya also has an estimated 2,252 bee hives, which are mainly

1 www.mold.gov.eg/Arabic/left/DataBaseSearch/Egypt, accessed April 1, 2008 2 www.mold.gov.eg/Arabic/left/DataBaseSearch/SmallCity/menia.htm?postid=12, accessed April 1, 2008

4

located in Al-Mahala Al-Kobra Markaz. Gharbiya also produces around 907,25 tons of

fish annually, mainly concentrated in Al Mahala Al-Kobra Markaz (50%).

Gharbiya is served by 17 banks with 49 branches, 17 central markets, 191 local markets,

and 119 refrigerators to preserve the governorate’s food products.

The number of NGOs in Gharbiya is relatively low compared to its counterparts in Upper

Egypt. Gharbiya has 475 NGOs, of which 342 are engaged in social work and 133 focus

on community development activities. About 50% and 34.6% of social care and

community development associations respectively are located in the two Markazs of

Tanta and Al-Mahala Al Kobra. Gharbiya is also the home of 327 youth centers, of which

15 are located in urban areas and 312 are located in rural areas. In addition, 39 youth

clubs operate in Gharbiya; 22 production cooperatives; 135 cooperative consumer

societies; 333 multi-purpose agricultural cooperatives; 80 specialized agricultural

cooperative societies; 43 agricultural reform cooperatives; 9 housing cooperative

societies; 72 workers’ syndicate committees; and 8 professional syndicates for teachers,

physicians, traders, agronomists, engineers, bar associations, and applied professions.

Gharbiya governorate is also well known for both its Islamic and Christian worship

places. It hosts around 3,500 mosques and 1,300 Islamic centers. Additionally, two

dioceses exist in the Markazs of Tanta and Al-Mahala Al-Kobra. St. Marigerges church,

which was established in 686 AD and rebuilt in 866 AD, is located in Al Mahala Al-

Kobra Markaz.

The private sector plays a key role in Gharbiya’s economy. There are 51,369 private

sector establishments, of which 33% are located in Al-Mahala Al-Kobra Markaz and 23%

in Tanta Markaz. Private sector establishments employ an estimated 91,600 workers,

34.9% of whom work in Al-Mahala Al-Kobra Markaz and 25.9% in Tanta Markaz.

Approximately 8,391 handicraft workshops are located in Gharbiya, employing

approximately 23,000 workers. Tanta Markaz is home to roughly 25% of these

workshops. A total of 1,589 varied industrial establishments operate in Gharbiya. More

than 40% of the industrial activity is in the spinning and weaving sector and 17% in the

food and beverage sector. Al-Mahala Al Kobra is also especially known for its white

cheese production. It produces 72.3% of the governorate’s total production of 9,100 tons.

Smoked fish production is also widely produced in Gharbiya governorate. The

governorate produces a total of 2,500 tons, of which 53.7% are produced in Kafr Al-

Zayat and 41.7% in Al Mahala Al-Kobra.

There are 55 hospitals in Gharbiya, of which 50.9% are located in Tanta Markaz.

Additionally, 1,439 private clinics are fully operational in Gharbiya, of which 37.9% are

concentrated in Tanta.

The governorate of Gharbiya is ranked seventh among Egypt’s twenty-six governorates

in terms of the human development index. The human development index for Gharbiya is

0.678 with distinct variations between urban and rural areas. It reaches 0.755 in urban

areas compared to 0.64 in rural areas.

Gharbiya is classified among the middle-achieving governorates in terms of human

development. This is reflected in the percentage of population living under the poverty

5

line, a second human development index indicator. The percentage of inhabitants living

under the poverty line in Gharbiya is 3.12% with a variation of 0.25 between urban and

rural areas. As for the percentage of (-5) feddan possessors, it is estimated at 97.9%; with

Al-Mahala Al-Kobra on the top of the list.

Socioeconomic indicators

Education

The literacy rate in Gharbiya among adults above 15 years of age is 69.4%, which is

close to the national average of 69.5%. There are clear disparities in terms of literacy

rates among Gharbiya’s various Markazs, reaching their highest level in Samanoud

Markaz (70.1%), and their lowest level in Qoutour Markaz (59.4%). The high literacy

rate in Samanoud Markaz is attributed to the high concentration of economic activities, as

well as educational services in this Markaz.

The enrollment rate in various educational levels is 79.5% on the governorate level with

slight disparities between various Markazs. Enrollment rates are highest in Kafr Al Zayat

Markaz (81.2%) and lowest in Al Santah Markaz (80.3%). The percentage of adults

holding a medium or higher education degree is a third indicator for educational

development. In Gharbiya this number amounts to 28%. This percentage reaches its

maximum level in Al Santah Markaz (26.6%) and its minimum in Bassioun Markaz

(19.9%).

Employment

The labor force (adults above 15 years of age) in the governorate of Gharbiya is 22.6% of

the governorate’s total population with a variation of 6.2% among various cities.

Variations can also be seen on the Markaz level, with Samanoud at 22.8% and Qoutour at

18.7%. Out of total employed inhabitants in Gharbiya, 78.01% work on a full-time basis,

6.56% on a part-time basis, 3.01% on a seasonal basis and 12.42% work only

occasionally3. Labor force as a percentage of total population increases in Markazs with

high economic activity, good services and a viable transportation system. Table 3

llustrates labor force as a percentage of total population broken down by Markaz. The

ratio of unemployment to total labor force among adults above 15 years of age is

estimated at 12.7%, with a maximum value in rural areas (13.4%) and a minimum value

in urban areas (11.3%).

Health care

Life expectancy at birth is approximately 68.6 in Gharbiya governorate. Similar to other

governorates, rates of life expectancy vary between urban and rural areas. Average life

expectancy is 68.6 years in rural areas compared to 68.2 years in urban areas. Life

3 http://www.msrintranet.capmas.gov.eg/ows-img2/pdf/t9_9.pdf, accessed 31 March 2008.

6

expectancy at birth reaches maximum values in Qoutour with 69.5 years and minimum

values in Santah Markaz with 68.6 years4.

Table 3 Labor Force as Percentage of Total Population of the Various Districts of

Gharbiya.


1 Tanta 24.3%

2 Al-Santah 21.8%

3 Al- Mahala Al-Kobra 23.9%

4 Kafr Al Zayat 20.8%

5 Quotour 20.2%

6 Samanoud 23.6%

7 Zefta 18.%

8 Bassioum 21.2%

MINYA GOVERNORATE

General

Minya Governorate enjoys a strategic location in Middle Egypt, about 250 km south of

Cairo, serving as a link between the north and south of Egypt. Minya extend along 135

km of the Nile and is bordered by Beni Suef to the north and Assiut to the south5. It

covers an area of 32,279 square km, approximately 3.2% of Egypt’s total area. Only 2.1%

of Minya’s total area is inhabited representing 7.5% of the governorate’s total area.

Minya is the second most populous governorate in Upper Egypt after Giza Governorate.

It has a population of 4.1 million inhabitants of which 2 million are females and 2.1

million are males. Minya’s population increases by approximately 87 thousand people

each year6. While 18.8% of Minya’s population lives in urban areas, 81.2% lives in rural

areas. Table 4 llustrates the percent distribution of Minya’s population by age.

Around 19% of the governorate’s population resides in the city of Minya, the capital of

the governorate. Minya is administratively divided into 9 Administrative Centers, 9 cities,

61 local units, 360 mother villages and 1,429 hamlets7. Table 5 hows the population

distribution over Minya’s various Markazs.

4 UNDP (2005) Egyptian Governorates Human Development Reports: Gharbiya Governorate. 5 http://www.bezra.com/en/Menia.asp, accessed March 25, 2008 6 CAPMAS 2008 7 www.mold.gov.eg/Arabic/left/DataBaseSearch/Egypt, accessed March 25, 2008

7

Table 4 Percent Distribution of Minya’s Population by Age

# Age Range

(years)


- Minya -

1 < 6 17.41%

2 6 – 10 7.63%

3 10 – 15 13.7%

4 15 – 45 44.98%

5 45 – 60 11.12%

6 > 60 5.69%

Table 5 Population Distribution of the Various Districts of Minya


1 Minya 19%

2 Abo Korkas 11%

3 Al-Adwa 5%

4 Bani Mazar 11%

5 Dair Mwas 7%

6 Samaloot 14%

7 Matawy 6%

8 Maghagha 10%

9 Malawy 17%

The governorate’s economic activities are varied and include agricultural as well as non-

agricultural activities. Agriculture is considered Minya’s main economic activity and

employs 58% of the labor force, cultivating the estimated 472,700 feddans of land

holdings. Animal production includes cattle and poultry farms, fish farms, and beehives,

which produce 101,000 tons of red meat, 36,000 tons of white meat, 3,800 tons of honey,

and 340,000 tons of fish.

The service sector is the second pillar of Minya’s economy and employs 33% of the labor

force. Industrial activity is small scale and absorbs only 9% of the labor force. Main areas

of industrial activity include manufacturing of foodstuffs, weaving and chemicals.

Minya has fifteen villages known for special products: Beni Haram, Kafr Khozam, Al

Rodah, Darwa, and Ma’saret Malawi are known for producing molasses; Nazlet Al

Badraman and Al Sheikh Massoud are known for pottery; Abu Korkas is known for goat

wool; Bartabat Al Gabal and Bousha are known for carpet weaving; Dahrout is known

8

for rope production; Al Kaiat is known for shoe production; Al Kafaie is known for dairy

products; and Nazlet Hussein is known for quarry products8.

Minya has an industrial city located on the east bank of the Nile River, 12 km south of

Minya Bridge. The industrial city is divided into 9 zones and was developed to encourage

new industries to supplement Minya’s traditional focus on handicrafts. Minya

incorporates over 7,000 industrial establishments in various fields employing around

27,000 workers.

Minya hosts around 14,500 business establishments, most of which are located in the

towns of Minya, Beni Mazar and Abo Qorqas. Minya has 9,027 licensed roaming

vendors, of which 26.6% are based in Minya City. The governorate of Minya is also the

home of various national banks and other business institutions. Approximately 97 private

banks and exchange companies operate in Minya Governorate, mainly in Minya City.

The governorate is also home to 88 brokerage companies; 49 contracting agencies; 3

goods transportation companies; 212 private communication centers; and 33 information

technology centers. Additionally, Minya has 574 private clinics; 46 private laboratories;

and 22 private hospitals.

Due to Minya’s central location, it serves as a station for tourists on their trips between

the northern and southern parts of Egypt. Minya is best known for its historical and

religious tourist sites. The governorate has seven hotels with 618 beds and hosts an

estimated 63 thousand visitors per annum. The most famous tourist attractions in Minya

are the Pharaonic monuments of Tell El Amarna, Bani Hassan, Tona El Gabal and

Ashmunein; the Mosques of El Laty, El Amrawy, El Masry, El Fouly, Zawyet Sultan,

and Antar’s Stable; and the Church of the Virgin Mary dating back to the Coptic era.

Minya has 674 civil society organizations and NGOs, of which 356 are located in rural

areas and 318 in urban areas. NGOs in Minya work in diversified fields including social

care and community development. Due to the governorate’s location and vigorous social

activities, many of these NGOs attract donor funds, which totaled EGP 112.6 million

until 2003. Furthermore, 183 youth centers and 21 sports clubs operate in Minya. Out of

the total number of youth centers, 152 are located in rural areas, compared to 10 in urban

areas. The governorate hosts around 22 production cooperatives mainly operating in

Minya City. Minya is also home to 31 consumer cooperatives, 10 housing cooperatives,

12 branches of syndicates, one businessmen’s association, one consumer protection

cooperative and a branch of the National Council for Women.

Minya Governorate is ranked 20th

among the twenty-six governorates of Egypt in terms

of human development indicators with an index value of 0.678. There is a 6% variation in

the human development index value within Minya itself. Minya City ranks first with

0.604, whereas Al-Adwa administrative center ranks last with 0.570. About 81% of

Minya’s population resides in rural areas, of which 53% are classified in low income

8 www.mold.gov.eg/Arabic/left/DataBaseSearch/SmallCity/menia.htm?postid=12, accessed March 25,

2008

9

class categories; 32% are classified as middle income class; and only 15% are classified

as upper income class.

Another indicator reflecting the governorate’s poverty level is its share of gross domestic

product (GDP) per capita, which is LE 4,358.4 on the governorate level. There are

significant disparities in GDP per capita between rural and urban areas. Records indicate

that GDP per capita has twice the value in urban areas of Minya compared to rural

counterparts. GDP per capita reaches its maximum level in Minya Markaz, with a value

of LE 4979.4 compared to its minimum level in Abo Qorqas, LE 3751.39.

Socio-Economic Indicators

Education

The literacy rate in Minya (adults above the age of 15 years) is 55.5% with noticeable

disparities between rural and urban areas. Literacy rates in urban areas are 80.3%

compared to only 46.7% in rural areas. Similar variations in literacy rates exist on both

the Markaz as well as the village levels. Literacy rates are highest (67.7%) in Minya

Markaz and lowest (46.3%) in Al-Adwa Markaz. On a village level, Makiosa village in

Minya Markaz is ranked first in terms of literacy achievements. Literacy rates are 80.8%

compared to 12.3% in Al-Salam village, Beni Mazar, which is ranked last in terms of

literacy rates.

The enrollment rate in various educational levels is the second indicator of educational

development. In Minya, the overall enrollment rate is 69.5% but this value varies

significantly among Markazs, cities and villages. It reaches a maximum of 73.5% in

Malawi Markaz and a minimum of 59.2% in Al-Adwa Markaz. On the village level, Al-

Salam village, Beni Mazar Markaz, ranks first, with an enrollment level of 80.9%. Tahrir

village, Maghagha Markaz, ranks last, with an enrollment level of 51%.

Employment

The labor force (adults above 15 years of age) averages 26.5% of the governorate’s total

population; reaching 39.5% in urban areas and 24.4% in rural areas. Minya Markaz ranks

first in terms of labor force (29.3%); while Samalout Markaz ranks last (25%). Out of the

employed inhabitants in Minya governorates, 59.97% work on a full-time basis; 4.16%

on a part-time basis; 2.38% on a seasonal basis; and 33.49% work only occasionally.

Table 6 illustrates labor force as a percentage of the total population in various Markazs

in Minya Governorate.

Unemployment is a second indicator of economic status. In 2005, the total number of

unemployed inhabitants was 92,700 of which 27,100 are in urban areas and 65,700 are in

rural areas.

9 UNDP (2005) Egyptian Governorates Human Development Reports: Minya Governorate.

10

Table 6 Labor Force as Percentage of Total Districts Population in Minya


1 Minya 29.3%

2 Abo Korkas 25%

3 Al-Adwa 26.8%

4 Bani Mazar 25%

5 Dair Mwas 25.8%

6 Samaloot 25%

7 Matawy 26.5%

8 Maghagha 27.1%

9 Malawy 2.5%

Health care

Life expectancy at birth in Minya is approximately 67.4 years. Malawi Markaz has the

highest life expectancy with 68.2 years. The minimum life expectancy is in Beni Mazar

with 67.1 years. Life expectancy rates are 67.3 years in urban areas versus 67.5 in rural

areas. The lowest ten villages on the health index are located in three Markazs, Samalout,

Beni Mazar and Dair Mowas10.

SOHAG GOVERNORATE

General

The governorate of Sohag is located in Upper Egypt about 550 km south of Cairo. It

stretches down the Nile Valley over 125 km and is bordered with Assiut to the north,

Qena to the south, the Red Sea governorate to the east and the New Valley governorate to

the west.

The total area of Sohag is estimated at 11,000 sq km, consisting of the green Nile Valley

strip and the eastern and western desert sectors. With a total population of 3.7 million

inhabitants (1.9 million females and 1.8 million males) Sohag ranks ninth among Egypt’s

governorates in terms of population. Its population increases by approximately 82,000

annually. Table 7 illustrates the percent distribution of Sohag’s population by age.

Sohag has a total populated area of 14.5% of its total land area with three quarters of its

population living in rural areas. Almost 17% of the governorate’s total population resides

in the capital, Sohag City. According to the Ministry of Local Development’s latest

statistics, Sohag is comprised of 11 Markazs, 11 cities, 3 neighborhoods, 5 local units,

10 UNDP (2005) Egyptian Governorates Human Development Reports: Minya Governorate.

11

270 mother villages and 1788 hamlets Table 5 illustrates population distribution by

Markaz.11

Table 7: Percent Distribution of Sohag’s Population by Age.

# Age Range

(years)


1 < 6 16.51%

2 6 – 10 7.75%

3 10 – 15 12.62%

4 15 – 45 45.59%

5 45 – 60 11.53%

6 > 60 6%

Close to 50% Sohag’s land is cultivated, which accounts for the governorate’s

classification as an agriculture governorate. The governorate has only limited non-

agricultural economic activities.

Table 8 Population Distribution of the Various Districts of Sohag.


1 Sohag 17%

2 Akhmim 8%

3 Al-Baliana 10%

4 Al-Maragha 9%

5 Al-Mansha’ah 8%

6 Dar Al Salam 8%

7 Gerga 10%

8 Gohaina 6%

9 Sakolta 5%

10 Tema 9%

11 Tahta 10%

Six villages in Sohag are known for specific, traditional handcrafts: Awlad Elio and

Bardis are renowned for their palm products; Banawit for its straw carpets; Shandawil

11 www.mold.gv.eg/Arabic/left/DataBaseSearch/Egypt, accessed March 25, 2008

12

Island for its handicrafts and embroidery; Saktala for its furniture production; and

Akhmim for its textile industry.12

In addition, Sohag has a number of ancient monuments and archeological sites that

constitute important tourist attractions. These date back to the Islamic, Roman, Greek and

Pharaonic eras. Thirteen historic sites are spread out over four Markazs: Sohag, Gerga,

Al-Baleena and Akhmim. Sohag is also well-known destination for therapeutic desert

tourism and religious tourism.

Sohag has more than 27,000 commercial establishments including branches of various

banks, insurance companies, business associations, consultancies and scientific services.

It also hosts a branch of the South Valley University including eight faculties and eight

institutes.

Sohag has many civil society organizations including approximately 492 non-

governmental organizations (NGOs), of which 287 provide social care and 205 provide

community development services. About 38% of Sohag’s social care associations and

20% of its community development associations are based in the Sohag City. The

governorate of Sohag also boasts 44 sports clubs, of which 38.6% are in Sohag City.

Additionally, the governorate has 170 youth centers; 800 cooperatives; one

businessmen’s association; one businesswomen’s association; 12 specialized

associations, such as Social Worker’s Association, Railway Worker’s Association and the

Association for Tax Officers; and a branch of the National Council for Women.

The private sector is vital to Sohag’s economy and dominates the agrarian sector with

approximately 362 thousand feddans under private sector control. The private sector

controls other essential industries including fishing, handicrafts, public services and

construction. The private sector also plays a vital role in livestock and poultry production,

particularly poultry breeding for meat and egg production. With the exception of Dar El

Salam, there are poultry farms in all of Sohag’s Markazs. Akhmim Markaz has a

particularly high concentration of poultry farms and accounts for 42% of the

governorate’s total production.

With around a half million head of cattle, the private sector also controls the

governorate’s animal wealth which is comprised primarily of cattle. Tahta Markaz, with

approximately 15% of the governorate’s total wealth, is ranked first in terms of cattle

ownership. Tema Markaz has the largest share of bee hives (approximately 60 hives),

while Gerga Markaz has the largest share of fish production (40.9% of the governorate’s

total production).

Sohag ranks among the low-achieving governorates in terms of human development.

Human development indicators reach maximum levels in urban areas, such as Sohag

City, and lowest levels in rural areas. For example, the human development index is

0.681 in Sohag City compared to only 0.610 in rural areas such as Akhmim.

12 www.mold.gov.eg/NR/exeres/IC74C0C-4521-4EE7-8560-D850C163B37A,htm?P, accessed March 25, 2008

13

Sohag’s poverty level is reflected in a number of indicators. Among farmers, the

percentage of land owners with less than five feddans is 93.8%. Another indicator

reflecting the governorate’s low economic status is the percentage of population living

below the poverty line. In 2001, almost 45.5% of Sohag’s population was living below

the poverty line. This number declined to 34.5% in 200513.

Socio-economic indicators

Education:

The literacy rate in Sohag among adult above 15 years of age amounts to 53.3%

compared to a national rate of 65.6%. There are clear imbalances between rural and urban

areas with the literacy level reaching 69.4% in urban areas but only 51.3% in rural areas.

Similar disparities in terms of literacy rates exist among different Markazs. The literacy

rate reaches its highest level in Sohag City (82.9%), and its lowest level in Dar El Salam

(45.6%).

Overall enrollment rates in various educational levels reach 76.2% in Sohag with only

slight disparities between urban and rural areas. Recorded enrollment rates are 78.8% in

urban areas compared to 75.2% in rural areas. Though the national primary enrollment

rate reaches 90%, it is only 83.5% in Sohag, with 94.1% in urban areas, compared to

80.9% in rural areas. The percentage of population (+15) holding a medium or higher

degree is 18.4%. The percentage of medium and higher degree graduates is 36.1% in

urban areas, dropping to 13.3% in rural areas.

Employment

In 2003, about 85,270 of Sohag’s total population were unemployed, with 27,750 in

urban areas and 57,520 in rural areas. The labor force (above 15 years of age) accounted

for 24.6% of the total population in 2001, rising to reach 24.8% in 2003. Out of all

employed inhabitants in Sohag governorates, 59.4% work on a full-time basis, 5.49% on

a part-time basis, 5.85% on a seasonal basis and 29.26% only occasionally14. It is

interesting to note that the labor force percentage increases in Markazs which enjoy

economic prosperity; service activity and a viable transportation system. Table 6

illustrates labor force distribution as a percentage of the total population in various

Markazs.

Health care

Life expectancy at birth, which is a reflection of available medical and health care

delivery system, is 67 years in Sohag compared to 67.1 years at the national level in

Egypt. The life expectancy rate is higher in urban areas compared to rural areas. It

13UNDP (2005) Egyptian Governorates Human Development Reports: Sohag Governorate. 14 http://www.msrintranet.capmas.gov.eg/ows-img2/pdf/t9_9.pdf, accessed 31 March, 2008.

14

reaches 67.2 for women and 66.7 years for men. Based on the health index value, the

lowest ten villages are located in Tema and Sohag Markazs with seven of the lowest ten

in Tema, two in Sohag Markaz and one in Sokalta.

Table 9: Labor Force as Percentage of Total Districts Population of Sohag.


1 Sohag 27.1%

2 Akhmim 25%

3 Al-Baliana 20%

4 Al-Maragha 25.6%

5 Al-Mansha’ah 23.7%

6 Dar Al Salam 22.5%

7 Gerga 25.1%

8 Gohaina 26%

9 Sakolta 24.4%

10 Tema 26.3%

11 Tahta 27.8%

Annex 7 Interview data collection forms

2

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Annex 8 ENR Organizational Structure

3

Chairman of the Board

Financial Affairs

Safety & Risk Management

Infrastructure

Short Distance Passenger

Long Distance Passenger

Cargo Transport

Joint Services

Financial Analysis Division

Budget and cost Division

Financial Affairs Division

Operations Inspection Unit

Signaling & Communication Division

Railway Engineering Division

Bridges Division

IT Division

Procurement, Storage, and Customs Division

Facility and Cleaning Management Division

General Services Division

Sales & Marketing Division

Operations Division

Maintenance Division

Buss. Development Division


Sales & Customer Service Division

Operations Division


Marketing Division



Sales & Customer Service Division

Operation & Central Planning Division


Policy Development Division

Risk Management&Emergency Division

Passengers & Goods’ Safety Division

Training and Capacity & Building Division

Inspections Division

Legal Affairs

Inspections Medical Affairs

Six Regional DivisionsSix Regional Divisions

Six Regional DivisionsSix Regional Divisions

Policy Development Division

Real Estate DivisionENR’s Affairs

Human Resources

Administration & Management Division

Recruiting & Training Division

Personnel Affairs Division

Station Management Division

Environment Affairs Directorate

4

1

Annex 9 A sample declaration and procedure for the establishment of EAD

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MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT GYPTIAN NATIONAL RAILWAYS …