Interchange of wagons and through bookings of goods traffic between Egypt and Palestine is still carried on by train ferry service across the canal, the tonnage of goods amounting to a very large annual total. Goods can be put on trucks at any station on the Egyptian State Railways and unloaded at any station on the Palestine Railways. There is a system of controlling the rolling stock exchanged, and, if trucks of one system are delayed on the other system beyond the allowed period, demurrage is enforced. The train used by the King of Egypt From a railway point of view Egypt offered an ideal field for exploitation. Construction was easy and economical, almost the only major works being the Nile bridges.
Gradients are practically non-existent and curves are easy.
Cast iron sleepers were abandoned, plenty of timber being obtainable, and there being no white ants to contend with. The wood which has been most satisfactory for sleepers is Turkish pine, but oak, jarrah, beech, and Oregon pine have been employed as well. The rails are supported on the sleepers by saddle plates, and held in place by screw spikes. About 250 miles of track are laid on steel sleepers of a trough pattern, to which the rail is secured by clips and bolts. The ballast used is flint gravel, which is obtainable in the country in large quantities.