First Section of Suez Railway Opens

On August 16, 1858, the Alexandria to Kafr El-Zayat section of Egypt's first railway opened, marking a pivotal step in modernizing transport under Khedive Said Pasha. Engineered by British firm Robert Stephenson and Company, the 80 km line used 4-4-0 locomotives and overcame Nile Delta flooding challenges with innovative embankments. This project connected Mediterranean ports to the Nile, boosting cotton exports and foreshadowing the 1869 Suez Canal. It laid groundwork for Egypt's 4,000 km network and symbolized colonial-era infrastructure investment.