EGYPT by TRAIN - How to travel between Cities in Egypt 🚋

There is a functional north-south railway backbone in Egypt, so travel by train between Aswan in the south and Alexandria in the north is a pleasant and practical way of seeing the country and getting to where you're going.
There are 3 broad categories of train in Egypt, ordinary trains and VIP-express train.
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Ordinary trains...
Ordinary are unreserved, which means you get to the station, you buy a ticket, and if turns out that your train is crowded, and you can’ t grab a seat before the others, you may have to stand on your feet for the whole trip, or maybe sit on the floor between the wagons with other passengers. These trains have no air-condition, which can be a hindrance especially in summer.
If you’ re looking for a bit of an adventure and wanna meet some interesting people, Ordinary train is the right option for you … Personally though, I like traveling with Express train.
VIP special express trains...
They are fully air-conditioned and all tickets come with a specific reserved seat.  They're shown as Special Service OD on the Egyptian Railways website enr.gov.eg, and as VIP trains on most other apps & websites.  It will say Special on your ticket. 
A refreshment trolley comes down the train selling tea, coffee & soft drinks. The expresses further divide into two main groups, VIP with more modern carriages and Spanish with much older (but still comfortable) carriages.
The first class carriages in both come with roomier seats and better bathroom facilities, so are well worth shelling out for.
Deluxe sleeper train...
These trains have comfortable air-conditioned sleeping-cars and a lounge car, see the photos below.  The sleeping-cars have secure & lockable compartments each of which can be sold as a single with only the lower berth folded out, or as a double with both upper & lower berths in use. 
Each compartment has a washbasin, soap, towel & clean bedding are provided. 
How to buy tickets...
You can book the VIP special express & express trains at the ENR website, see the advice in the How to buy tickets section above.
Tickets for ordinary trains can't be booked online, see the advice for buying tickets at the station
How to find your train & seat.  The main departure boards at major stations such as Cairo or Alexandria show train number, platform, destination.  They switch between Arabic and Western script/numerals every few seconds.  Each platform at Cairo Ramses station has an LED display showing the departure time, train number & destination of the train at that platform. There's no check in, you just go and get on your train any time before departure, but remember there's a baggage X-ray check at the entrance to the station.  I'd be at the station half an hour before.Your ticket will show your train number, train type, class, car number and seat number, in both Arabic and Western script.  When you reach your train, car numbers will be shown in both Arabic & Western numerals on a small metal plate next to each car's entrance door.
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All mainline trains use Cairo's impressive main station, often called Ramses station.  The first station opened here in 1856, the current building dates from 1892.  It was extended in 1955 and modernised in the 2010s with marble flooring and air-conditioning.  The station is both a through station and a terminus, the main station building sits next to seven terminus platforms, with four through platforms running alongside, see Google Maps satellite view station plan.
Express trains to Alexandria normally leave from the terminus platforms, numbered 1-7 from right to left (1-4 are under the impressive trainshed, 5-7 alongside).  The VIP express trains to Alex typically leave from platform 4.
Trains to Luxor & Aswan leave from the four through platforms, numbered 8, 9, 10 & 11.  A passageway leads from the main concourse to platform 8.  A subway leads under the tracks to platforms 9, 10 & 11.  Sleeper train 86 and VIP train 980 to Luxor & Aswan both usually leave from platform 8, easily accessible from the main concourse.
There are more terminus platforms on the far side of the station, numbered 12 upwards, used by northbound ordinary trains.  You are unlikely to need these. 
All bags are X-rayed as you enter the station, although anecdotally it seems they aren't interested in what you have on you when you walk through the metal detector, it's bags they really want to check.  Once inside, the station has a ticket office, left luggage office, tourist office, ATMs, and a food court.  The Watania sleeper office is at the front of the station next to the main entrance, before you go through security.
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