Transport Minister Hesham Arafat said on Sunday that he was waiting for results of investigations into Alexandria train collision, which took place on Friday.

Speaking at a press conference, Arafat said Egypt's railway has not been fully developed since 1969, noting that the safety of passengers tops his ministry's priorities.

Poor infrastructure and operational issues might be standing behind the train collision in Alexandria, Arafat said.

Egypt signed deals with three European countries worth 6 billion pounds to develop the railway signalling systems by 2019, he added.

The ministry will also purchase 1,000 carriages from Italy in the coming period, Arafat said, adding that President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has issued directives to make use of the latest technological tools to develop Egypt's railway.

A plan was also set to renovate railway tracks at a cost of 6 billion pounds, he noted.

Two trains collided in Egypt's coastal city of Alexandria on Friday killing 42 people and injuring dozens others.

Source : Mena