00:01For 163 years, the streetcars of Alexandria have rumbled along the coast.
00:07Now plans are in motion to replace them with a partially elevated light rail line,
00:12a modern upgrade aimed at speeding up the future.
00:16But for many residents, this isn't just about getting from A to B.
00:19It's about preserving heritage.
00:26They want to do it the same way it was done in Frankfurt,
00:29but the difference is that instead of having an underground section, it will be above ground.
00:34When I heard about this, I felt very upset and saddened,
00:38because the old tram is part of our heritage and memories.
00:47I have a car, but I leave it and take the tram,
00:49because I've used it since I was little.
00:52It's the safest means of transportation.
00:55Sometimes I feel like going for a walk,
00:57so I take the tram from Ramil Station to the Victoria Station,
01:01and then take another line and return.
01:03The tram is our heritage, our life and our past.
01:12For generations, the tram has carved an 11-kilometre path through the heart of Alexandria,
01:17now a new project backed by international companies, promises to double with speed.
01:26We don't want the technology they're proposing.
01:28We don't want to go fast.
01:29On the contrary, I want to enjoy the view and see the city while riding.
01:33I don't want the tram to go fast.
01:35Those who are in a hurry can use other means of transportation, not the tram.
01:45Locals say the government plans are making the city more car-dependent and worsening traffic.
01:56Why are we against this progress?
01:58Because quite simply, it isn't development.
02:01We've had bad experiences with what they call progress,
02:04and the word has come to mean destruction for us.
02:10In Alexandria, Egyptians, young and old, are lining up for one last ride
02:15before the historic streetcars roll to a final stop in April.
02:19If you can understand, this is the name of my identity,
02:19and my identity, I'm just kidding.
02:19I'm not even sure if you can understand the name of your identity.
02:20Wait.
02:20I'm not even, but do so.
02:20As I want to know.
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