It seems however some tangible albeit tentative steps are now being taken towards the realization of the project. In April, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi ratified a $2.4m agreement with the Kuwaiti Fund for Economic Development to finance a study on the rail link.

The study is now being put into effect. For millions of Egyptian and Sudanese, the 570-kilometre line between Aswan in ‘Upper Egypt’ and Wadi Halfa in northern Sudan promises an affordable alternative to the two-and-a-half-hour flight between Cairo and Khartoum while creating an efficient and potentially more cost-effective trade route for freight, with goods currently forced to traverse more meandering sea and overland routes between the two countries.

The study is set to delve into the economic, environmental and social effects of the project while deciding on the route and providing an estimate for the total cost.

According to the Ministry of International Cooperation the project will “enshrine co-operation and realise economic and social integration.”