Economical assessment of the High Speed Railway

Investing in High speed railways is a significant social decision. One of the major drawbacks is its high capital cost. However, the public decision makers should not only focus on the financial cost, but also the potential positive impacts on the society. A cost benefit analysis is a useful tool for economical assessment. This study aims to examine the investment and economic feasibility of a proposed “Cairo – Luxor HSR line”. It develops an assessment framework to identify the direct and indirect potential sources of benefits of the proposed line, and uses that framework to estimate these benefits over the project life time.