- 39 -The railway line between Merg and Za'abal, and work is still ongoing in connecting the stations and in the signaling system. They have finished the Cairo and Alexandria line, so they are now focusing on building the Delta lines and the Upper Egypt line. The construction of Alexandria station has begun, and the lines have been extended to the wooden and iron quays at the port.

The following table shows the results of the railway works in the past three years: | | 1910 | 1909 | 1908 | | :---------------------------------- | :---------- | :---------- | :---------- | | Revenue | 5,040,539 | 4,535,000 | 3,435,000 | | Expenses | 3,325,800 | 3,430,000 | 2,082,000 | | Net Revenue | 1,950,000 | 1,975,000 | 2,082,000 | | Individuals per kilometer of open lines | 1,446,000 | 1,283,000 | 1,353,000 | | Net revenue per kilometer of open lines | 1,398 | 1,473 | 546 | | Operating expenses as a percentage of revenue | 1,460 | 554 | 0.56 | | Number of passengers | 1,900,000 | 5,775,000 | 508,000 | | Goods weight in tons | 5,181,000 | 25,306,000 | 25,842,000 | | Railway value (estimated) | 252,593,000 | 252,509,300 | 252,579,000 | | Return on capital (on this value) | 7.05% | 7.05% | 7.50% | The improvement in the Upper Egypt branch railway is still steady, and its revenue increased by 20% in 1910 compared to 1909, while operating expenses only increased by 9%.

It is said that the movement of heavy goods last year was satisfactory.

During the summer months, the freight rates for goods were greatly reduced as an experiment, but the result was disappointing. The increase in weight was 37,000 tons and in revenue was 11,700 Egyptian Pounds, which represents only a small portion of the yield, but the ratio is based on continuity.