High speed across the Egyptian desert
The Velaro for Egypt is a groundbreaking method of high-speed transportation. To withstand harsh desert environments, the Velaro is tailored to the unique landscape of Egypt, meeting technological aspirations.
Connecting the people of Egypt with our state-of-the-art high-speed rail network
Best-in-class technology to support a greener future
- Operational speed of up to 230 km/h
- Travel times reduced by up to 50%
- Up to 70% less CO2 emissions compared to buses and cars
Tailored to withstand the desert
Get to know the process behind the robust Velaro for Egypt
The outer shell of the train underwent initial field tests of 16 paint systems for abrasion or erosion.
- Extensive sandblasting tests
- Different blasting material grain sizes: 6–250 μm, 250–700 μm
- Different impact angles: 7°, 28°
- Different speeds: 29, 44, 64 m/s
The durability and quality of the paintwork was assessed by sandblasting metal panels under different conditions.
Perfectly suited for Egypt’s sand at high speed
Depending on grain size and elemental composition, sand and dust can enter through even the smallest gaps. For this reason, particle flow simulations were conducted using Lagrangian Multiphase (LMP) to see the flow and vortices with the help of Simcenter STAR-CCM+.
The simulations helped us assess the right optimizations for the Velaro.
- Appropriate filter systems
- Aerodynamic measures
- Special protective devices
These optimizations successfully interrupt upward sand transportation at the gangway, and the complete sealing of the floor pan reduces sand and dust by 93%.
The Velaro keeps a cool head in Egypt’s heat
Extensive heat tests in Vienna
The Velaro underwent a whole series of tests to ensure and prove its desert compatibility:
- High-temperature tests from 40 °C up to 50 °C external temperature – and beyond
- Sun radiation tests: from 800 W, which is realistic for the Egyptian midday up to 1050 W, which exceeds the highest radiation levels found on earth, at a 30° angle from the side
- 250+ measurement points: monitoring of horizontal and vertical distributions, surface temperatures, ankle, knee and head heights, CO2, humidity etc.
The results? The Velaro achieves stable conditions of 25.6 °C in the passenger saloon at 50 °C external temperature with 1050 W of solar radiation.
Two-stage air utilization
The air drawn in from the roof by the air-conditioning system at temperatures of up to 45 °C is cooled down and directed into the passenger compartment. At the same time, exhaust air from the passenger compartment is discharged into the underfloor area at approximately 22 °C, where it mixes with ambient air and cools underfloor components.
