Egypt train crash investigation has found that the driver of one train disabled its automatic safety system, and that a station controller altered the signal logbook, according to Egypt’s Public Prosecution.
Two passenger trains collided in the afternoon of Sunday, 8 November, in the al-Ayyat district of Giza governorate, about 52 kilometres south of Cairo, killing seven people, among them the driver of Train No. 134. The Giza-to-Fayoum train ran into the rear of a Cairo-to-Aswan train that was standing still on the same track, between Kafr Ammar and Al-Raqqa stations, near the village of El-Raqqa and the Gerza junction.
The Public Prosecution issued a detailed statement on Monday, 9 November, after a technical examination by a committee of professors from Cairo University’s Faculty of Engineering, according to Global 1 News. Examinations found that the driver of Train No. 134 had disabled the train’s automatic control system, which monitors speeds, checks compliance with track speed restrictions and applies the brakes automatically if a driver fails to respond to a signal or exceeds the permitted speed.
Station staff in custody
The head of the Central Administration for Signals and Telecommunications confirmed that the Al-Raqqa station controller and the station master had failed to monitor the control panel, which displays the status of signal tower T-10, and both acknowledged the failure during questioning, according to the prosecution’s account. Investigators found the station controller had tampered with the signal logbook in an attempt to conceal evidence of his failure to monitor the panel.
Detention was ordered on Monday, 9 November, pending investigation, for two employees of Al-Raqqa station — the controller and the station master — and for the assistant driver of Train No. 134 until he could be questioned, according to the report. The prosecution’s account is a finding at the investigation stage, not a conviction, and the engineering committee is still working.
The Public Prosecution also questioned the chairman of Egyptian National Railways and several of his deputies, along with officials responsible for infrastructure, maintenance, operations, safety, quality, signalling and telecommunications.
Parliament summons minister
A parliamentary committee meets the transport minister on Tuesday morning, two days after the collision, according to Global 1 News. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ordered an urgent investigation on Sunday and said anyone found to have been negligent would be held accountable.
Somalia joined countries expressing solidarity with Egypt on Tuesday, with its foreign ministry issuing a condolence message to the Egyptian government and the families affected, according to the Puntland Times. Rail services on the Cairo–Aswan corridor were suspended while crews cleared derailed carriages and checked signals, and spare buses and refunds were arranged for stranded passengers, according to reports.
Sources: Global 1 News (Public Prosecution statement), 10 Nov 2026; Puntland Times, 10 Nov 2026; Flash Info / Particle News, 9–10 Nov 2026
