The undersigned human rights organizations condemn the exclusion of the historic tram from the city of Alexandria. They demand an immediate halt to the removal and dismantling of the Alexandria tram, the suspension of all associated executive measures, and a guarantee of a development process that safeguards the rights of the city and its residents. This demand comes in light of the severe harm inflicted upon the 80,000 daily tram users, the destruction of heritage, and the environmental damage caused.
Since the announcement of the partial suspension of the Raml Tram in Alexandria in February 2026, complaints from citizens using the tram have continuously mounted due to a significant increase in commute times. Citizens are forced to rely on alternative, crowded, and slow means of transportation, which doubles travel times to work or study. Furthermore, many girls and women are exposed to heightened risks regarding harassment and other daily grievances.
Relying on the proposed alternatives, such as private cars and buses, multiplies the cost for citizens in several ways. It also severely impacts the rights of the most vulnerable groups, particularly tram users among students, the elderly, and low-income brackets. These transportation alternatives increase the financial burden of commuting and exacerbate traffic congestion—an issue already documented by research even prior to the tram’s removal.
The demolition and dismantling of the tram’s infrastructure continue unabated. Historic Alexandria tram stations, such as (Victoria and Bacos/Bulkeley), have been demolished. Additionally, registered heritage buildings, including the Isis and Bacos stations, as well as the historic Bulkeley Clock, have been torn down; these structures are over 160 years old.
This demolition process directly contradicts the Egyptian government’s prior announcement of a project to “develop” the tram rather than completely eliminating it, after more than 100 years of its establishment. Furthermore, these steps constitute a violation of international standards and Egypt’s official commitment to preserving national heritage and protecting the urban identity of one of the country’s most important coastal centers.
Under Egyptian Law No. 144 of 2006, and Article 50 of the Egyptian Constitution (which obligates the state to protect cultural heritage), the demolition of registered heritage assets without prior permission from the National Organization for Urban Harmony (NOUH) is illegal.
These actions also constitute potential violations of Article 15(1)(a) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), which guarantees the right of everyone to take part in cultural life. The enjoyment of this right depends, in part, on the preservation of the shared urban heritage that embodies the collective identity and memory of the community.
The executing company, operating under government supervision, has cut down dozens of perennial trees along the entire tram route. Tree cutting has been documented in neighborhoods and areas including (Sheds Station, Bulkeley Station, Sporting, Cleopatra Zaniri, Gianaclis, Ibrahimia, as well as Horriya Avenue branching from Abu Qir Street in Alexandria Governorate – East District), and the cutting operations are still ongoing.
These trees serve as a vital urban green barrier in a Mediterranean coastal city facing accelerating climate pressures. Moreover, deploying more polluting cars and buses as alternatives to the tram doubles pollution levels in the city.
Government practices involving tree cutting and the reduction of green spaces are clear violations of national and international commitments, foremost among which is Article 45 of the Constitution, which affirms the state’s commitment to protecting and expanding green spaces.
The unchecked destruction of urban green infrastructure, without an independent and updated Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), also constitutes a potential violation of the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment—a right recognized by the United Nations General Assembly in July 2022.
Furthermore, violations persist regarding the rights of the tram workers, who are suffering from the ambiguity of their current status. Workers have no guarantees regarding their financial entitlements following the suspension of the tram’s operation. Consequently, they have been suspended from work without a genuine restructuring of their status, or their participation and consent regarding the new locations they are supposedly to be transferred to—including the Ministry of Transport, as recommended by the Presidency. However, this has not been implemented on the ground so far.
In addition, drivers and owners of buses operating within the alternative transport system—deployed after the disruption/dismantling of Alexandria’s famous tram lines—have faced gross violations of their economic and social rights. This is manifested in the withholding of wages and financial entitlements for the months of February and March 2026, despite their performance of work. This situation threatens a complete halt of the alternative system due to the failure to fulfill workers’ rights, thereby compounding the Alexandria tram crisis.
The Administrative Court of Alexandria is currently reviewing a lawsuit to halt the implementation of the Prime Minister’s decision, which decreed the development of the Raml Tram as a matter of public utility for the state. The lawsuit refutes the justification of removal under the guise of public utility, detailing the aspects of harm and danger inherent in the decision and its subsequent executive actions. Most notably, it highlights the threat to heritage, the fragmentation of the city’s urban fabric, and the distress caused to its residents—especially the economically and socially marginalized beneficiaries, users, and workers of the tram—all done without the consent of Alexandrians or consideration for the increased burdens on low-income groups.
The next hearing is scheduled for June 7, 2026, in Lawsuit No. 8397 of Judicial Year 80. This lawsuit challenges the decision based on an additional legal ground for all previous violations, namely: the executing body’s failure to obtain the approval of the National Organization for Urban Harmony (NOUH) and the Ministry of Culture. This requirement underscores the heritage value of the tram component within the urban fabric of Alexandria.
Based on the foregoing, the undersigned demand the following:
An immediate halt to all removal and dismantling operations of the Alexandria tram.
The freezing of all executive measures until a comprehensive review of the project is completed.
The protection of the heritage infrastructure associated with the tram, including its stations, tracks, and surrounding trees.
Guaranteeing the financial and occupational rights of tram workers in a fair and transparent manner.
Opening a genuine community dialogue that includes all stakeholders in the urban, heritage, and environmental sectors.
Adherence to national laws and the Egyptian Constitution, particularly regarding the protection of heritage, the environment, and the safeguarding of public funds.
Background
Since its first journey in the 1860s, the Alexandria tram has not merely been a means of transportation running on tracks, but a witness to the city’s urban evolution, whose neighborhoods and squares were shaped around its routes. As the oldest mass transit system in Africa and the Middle East, the tram has carried successive generations of workers, students, and the working class for over 160 years, becoming a symbol of the affordable right to mobility and accessibility.
In March 2026, the Ministry of Transport and Alexandria Governorate announced the launch of a comprehensive rehabilitation project for the line. This project is funded by the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the French Development Agency (AFD), with additional contributions from the Egyptian government, raising the total budget of the project to approximately 592 million Euros (around 708 million USD).
Operations to remove the tram tracks and demolish station buildings have already taken place. The government executed a “scrapping” process, selling parts of the tram in a public auction held shortly after announcing the intent to develop. The proceeds from selling the tram assets amounted to 179 million Egyptian Pounds.
Several political parties have announced their rejection of the removal process, alongside public figures and organizations working in the fields of heritage, environment, and urban planning.
Furthermore, 1,700 people signed a public petition launched last April, demanding an immediate halt to any works affecting the Raml Tram due to its significance to the people of Alexandria and its cultural heritage. They also highlighted the damages caused by these works, including increased congestion, altering the city’s identity, and raising financial burdens on citizens forced to use costlier alternative means of transport.
Members of the House of Representatives have also submitted briefings (requests for information) regarding the squandering of public funds in the development process, the suspension of the Alexandria Raml Tram, the sale of its assets, and most recently, the failure and stalling of the alternative transport system.
Signatories:
Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF)
Egyptian Front for Human Rights (EFHR)
Sinai Foundation for Human Rights (SFHR)
Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR)
Egypt Wide for Human Rights
Center for Egyptian Women’s Legal Assistance (CEWLA)
Law and Democracy Support Foundation (LDSF)
