Egypt Daily News – A wave of frustration swept through passengers aboard train No. 2011—an air-conditioned VIP service operating on the Aswan–Cairo line, after it departed from Aswan Station on the morning of July 12 without Carriage No. 9, which had been fully booked in advance.
According to sources within the Egyptian National Railways, the issue arose due to an oversight in the train’s assembly at Aswan Station, resulting in the omission of the reserved carriage. This led to significant dissatisfaction among travelers, many of whom were surprised to find their assigned seats missing upon boarding.
The train conductor informed passengers that Carriage No. 9 had not been attached to the train before departure. Upon reaching Luxor Station, a carriage was added to the end of the train to compensate for the error. Passengers originally assigned to Carriage No. 9 were redirected to this newly added carriage, which was designated as Carriage No. 11.
However, the process of reassigning passengers caused further confusion. In an attempt to manage the situation, passengers already occupying Carriage No. 11 were asked to move to Carriage No. 10, while those in Carriage No. 10 were then moved to the replacement Carriage No. 9. The reshuffling led to a state of disarray on board, particularly affecting travelers who had booked their seats electronically or well in advance.
Several passengers voiced their dissatisfaction with how the matter was handled, citing the lack of coordination and clarity, and the resulting inconvenience.
