A vast new high-speed railway linking two of North Africa’s most picturesque Mediterranean cities is taking shape, with Egypt preparing to roll out one of the most advanced trains ever engineered for desert conditions. The multi-billion-pound project will use Siemens’ Velaro high-speed fleet – trains specifically redesigned from the ground up to survive the heat, sand and punishing climate of the Egyptian desert.

The new rail network will span roughly 2,000km across the country and eventually connect 60 stations, including major hubs on the Mediterranean coastline. Officials say that once complete, the system will provide modern, affordable and safe transport for up to 90% of Egypt’s population, cutting journey times between cities by as much as 50%. The project is estimated to cost $23billion (£18billion).

The network will link many of the country’s most important cities, creating a fast, modern route between the Mediterranean, the Red Sea and Upper Egypt.

The first line will connect Ain Sokhna, on the Red Sea, to Alexandria and Marsa Matrouh, on the Mediterranean coast. A second line will run south from Cairo through major population centres before reaching Luxor and Aswan.

A third route will branch toward the Red Sea again, providing a rapid connection to Hurghada. In total, the system will serve about 60 cities, transforming long-distance travel across the country.

Each eight-car Velaro train will carry 489 passengers and travel at operational speeds of up to 142mph. But what sets the new fleet apart is not its speed, but the extraordinary engineering required to make high-speed rail viable in one of the world’s harshest environments.

To ensure the trains can cope with everything from shifting dunes to intense solar radiation, Siemens engineers have conducted extensive laboratory and field testing.

Sand samples collected from across Egyptian desert regions were analysed in detail to understand how different grain sizes, between six and 700 micrometres, would strike and erode the train at high speeds.

Sixteen different paint and coating systems were then subjected to sandblasting under varying angles and impact speeds to identify the most durable materials.

Engineers also used advanced particle-flow simulations to track how microscopic grains of sand might infiltrate the train’s bodywork at speed. This allowed designers to develop improved filters, protective components and aerodynamic features.

The result is a high-speed train with near-total underfloor sealing that reduces sand and dust penetration by 93%

Heat resistance was another major challenge. In Vienna, engineers pushed the Velaro to extremes by exposing it to external temperatures of up to 50C and solar radiation levels even higher than those recorded anywhere on Earth.

More than 250 sensors monitored temperatures, airflow, humidity and surface conditions inside the cabin. Despite the brutal conditions, the onboard cooling system held the passenger saloon at a stable 25.6C, thanks to a two-stage air-circulation process designed specifically for desert climates.

Alongside its performance benefits, the railway is expected to deliver significant environmental gains. High-speed electrified travel is expected to generate up to 70% fewer carbon emissions than equivalent journeys by car or bus, according to project engineers.

The first segments of the network are already under construction, and the full system will eventually connect the Mediterranean’s historic coastal cities with the capital and the Red Sea, creating the first high-speed corridor of its kind in Africa.