Cairo awards contract to supply and operation of two monorail lines in Egypt

Berlin (Urban Transport News): On 5th August 2019, National Authority for Tunnels has signed an agreement with a consortium of Bombardier Transportation, Orascom Construction PLC and Arab Contractors in Cairo to design and build two new monorail lines in Egypt. After completion of the construction phase of the project, the consortium will be responsible for the Operation and Maintenance (O&M) of both monorail lines in Egypt for 30 years. The total value of the design, build and O&M contract exceeds USD4.5 billion (equivalent to EUR4.1 billion).

Bombardier Transportation´s share is USD2.85 billion US (equivalent to EUR2.6 billion). Orascom Construction’s share of the overall contract is close to USD900 million. The agreement is subject to final signatures of supplementary documents. Danny Di Perna, President of Bombardier Transportation, said,

To be selected as the monorail system supplier in Egypt is a great privilege and our fully-automated monorail system is the smart mobility solution for Cairo’s urban future. Our INNOVIA Monorail 300 technology has proved to be a game changer in the industry, as it allows fast construction of high capacity transit lines at lower costs. With its advanced technology, unmatched safety features and attractive aerodynamic design, this proven platform will dramatically improve the quality of life for millions of residents by significantly reducing their daily commuting time as well as reducing traffic congestion and its impact on the city.

Osama Bishai, Chief Executive Officer of Orascom Construction PLC, commented,

We continue to play an integral role in the development of Egypt’s infrastructure, and are proud to be part of this prestigious project to build mass transportation across Cairo, the New Administrative Capital, Giza and 6th of October City. We are very pleased to collaborate with our international partner Bombardier and our local partner Arab Contractors on this project, which highlights our strength in the transportation sector and emphasizes our position as the partner of choice for international contractors in Egypt, particularly on challenging projects.

This project supports Cairo and Egypt to enable fast, sustainable comfortable and above all safe transportation for millions of people every year in the dynamic Cairo metropolitan area. The first monorail line will extend 54 km from East Cairo to the New Administrative Capital. The second line will be 42 km long to connect 6thOctober City to Giza. These are the first mass transit links to connect Greater Cairo with New Capital City and 6 October City and will greatly improve mobility for Egyptian citizens.

The two lines will be able to transport around 45,000 passengers per hour in each direction when ultimate capacity is reached. With operating speeds up to 80 kmph, the journey time for the new Capital City will be around 60 minutes (for 54 km line) and around 42 minutes for 6 October City (42 km line). Orascom Construction will design and build all infrastructure and civil works, including stations, guideway structures and new depot buildings.

Bombardier will design, supply and install the electrical and mechanical (E&M) equipment for the two lines including 70 four-car BOMBARDIER INNOVIA Monorail 300 trains (280 cars), BOMBARDIER CITYFLO 650 signalling and automatic train control technology, the Operation Control Centre, communication systems, platform screen doors and fare collection, power supply / power distribution systems as well as switch beams and depot equipment. It will also provide the overall E&M system integration, project management, systems engineering and integration, test and commissioning for the trains and signalling as well as operations and maintenance of the vehicles and wayside systems.

Monorail systems are perfect for congested cities needing a fast and cost-effective to build mass transit solution and the INNOVIA Monorail 300 system provides flagship performance in driverless operations. The compact, elevated system enables easy urban integration into existing infrastructure, and its iconic aesthetics and attractive infrastructure will help to shape Cairo’s identity as a modern thriving city. The INNOVIA Monorail 300 system has been operating in Sao Paulo, Brazil, since 2014 and is currently under construction in Bangkok, Thailand and Wuhu, China.