Alstom bags €876 mn Rolling Stock contract to upgrade Cairo Metro Line 1

Cairo, Egypt (Urban Transport News): Alstom and National Authority for Tunnels (NAT) announced an agreement for 55 Metropolis trains (9 cars per train) and an 8-year maintenance contract, valued at 876 million euro, for the upgrade of Cairo Metro Line 1, at TransMEA 2021 today, financed by the French Government.

Launched in 1987, Cairo Metro line 1 is the oldest metro line in Egypt, moving approximately 2.5 million passengers per day between El Marg and Helwan. These upgrades are part of Egypt’s plans to increase and improve public transportation capacity and passenger experience for citizens.

“We are honoured to play a role in the development and modernisation of Egypt’s urban network and are grateful for the National Authority for Tunnels confidence in Alstom’s Metropolis solution. It is a proven and technologically advanced platform. With a fleet of about 495 Metropolis cars, more residents will be able to commute safely and comfortably every day. We thank H.E. Kamel El-Wazir, Egyptian Minister for Transport, the National Tunnel Authority, the French authorities, and all those who have made this project possible for the benefit of the Egyptian people,” said Henri Poupart-Lafarge, CEO of Alstom.

A state-of-the-art metro, Metropolis brings an unprecedent level of comfort to Cairo residents and tourists. Its interior layout is tailored to the specific requirements of the line and designed to maximise train capacity while enhancing comfort, accessibility and passenger flow. It features wide corridors and a dedicated women’s area. At peak times, each train will be able to carry 2,580 passengers and its eco-design brings increased energy-efficiency and is up to 98% recyclable. Finally, Alstom’s proposal includes a unique design to reflect the history and culture of Cairo.

The Metropolis metro will be designed and manufactured in France, at the Alstom site in Valenciennes Petite-Forêt. The other French sites involved are Le Creusot, for the bogies and motor integration, Villeurbanne, for the passenger information systems, and Toulouse, for electrical engineering.

Alstom has been a partner to Egypt’s railways since 1971, supporting the railway infrastructure development in the country. Alstom Egypt has established a strong local team and a Center of Excellence (COE) for signalling systems, power supply and maintenance workshops to support projects across its Africa-Middle East-Central Asia (AMECA) region.