A consortium comprising Colas Rail, Orascom Construction and Hitachi Rail has signed a contract with the Egyptian National Authority for Tunnels to renovate line 1 of the Cairo underground system.
The deal is reported to be worth more than €800m (£674m) which includes 35% for Colas Rail, 35% for Orascom Construction and 29% for Hitachi Rail.
The line, which is the oldest in Egypt and carries 1.5m people every day, will be modernised by Colas Rail who will upgrade the electric power supply, catenary and electromechanical systems in stations and tunnels and on the rail track.
READ MORE: Hitachi tests intercity battery train in the North of England
Hitachi Rail, for its part, will modernise the signalling, control and telecommunications infrastructures.
The project is expected to start in October 2024 and will run for 64 months with work being carried out during the day while maintaining commercial operations on the line.
Hitachi Rail’s head of ground transportation systems for Egypt, Alessio Bencivenni, said: “Our consortium is delivering a truly innovative project to update Egypt’s oldest metro line while maintaining day to day commercial operations.
“Building on more than 40 years supporting the Cairo metro, we will deliver our modern, digital technology, enhancing signalling, control and telecommunication infrastructure on line.
“Our solution will enable greater safety, reliability and capacity on the line and deliver more seamless and sustainable journeys for passengers in Cairo.”
Achievements and innovations in rail will be celebrated at the third annual CiTTi Awards, which will be held on 26 November 2024 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Nominations are open now! Please visit www.cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s transportation sector
