Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Friday inaugurated the East Nile Monorail, a driverless system. The inauguration ceremony unveiled a high-capacity transportation network linking Cairo’s Nasr City with the new administrative capital.
The new line will span 22 stations. It is also designed to ease congestion in one of Africa’s most densely populated urban corridors. It will also improve connectivity to Egypt’s rapidly developing administrative hubs.
After the inauguration, Sisi, along with the families of fallen Egyptian soldiers, rode the monorail from the Al-Fatta al-Alim Mosque station through major residential areas to the financial district.
Significance of the project
Furthermore, Egypt’s Minister of Transport Kamel Alwajir described the project as a “leap of civilization”. He noted that this is in line with the government’s efforts to introduce an environmentally friendly transportation system. These systems aim to reduce fuel consumption and road congestion. The project also highlights how ambitious African countries are approaching transport infrastructure. Other ambitious rail projects that African countries aim to develop include the Afrail Express project, which connects several African states.
The fully automatic system with rubber tires uses around 30% less energy than traditional electric rails. It will also operate on elevated tracks, minimizing disruption to the existing road network.
Africa’s longest monorail line
The East Nile Monorail is currently Africa’s longest single monorail line at 56.5 km. However, it is part of a broader network, the Cairo Monorail System, which also includes a second line connecting the City of 6 October.
Combined, the network spans approximately 96 kilometers. This will therefore be the largest monorail system in Africa. Simply put, the East Nile route holds the single line record, and Cairo’s entire network holds the continental record for total system size.
developer
The monorail project was built by a consortium including Alstom, Orascom Construction and Arab Contractors and features 40 trains capable of reaching speeds of up to 80 km/h with intervals as short as 90 seconds.
The system is integrated with Cairo’s Metro Line 3 and Light Rail Transit (LRT), with future connections to Metro Lines 4 and 6 planned.
Equipped with platform doors, LED displays and accessibility features, the monorail is expected to play a central role in reshaping urban mobility in Cairo and supporting the transition to sustainable transport.
East Nile Monorail Project Fact Sheet
System length: 56.5 km (35.1 miles)
Number of stations: 22 stations
Maximum speed: 80 km/h
Time required: Approximately 60-70 minutes (end-to-end)
Capacity: 45,000 passengers per hour (pphpd)
Number of passengers per day: Expected to serve up to 600,000 passengers per day
Technology: Fully automated, driverless (GoA4), rubber-tired
development and management
Owner: National Authority for Tunnels (NAT). Consortium: Led by Alstom (formerly Bombardier Transportation), Orascom Construction, and The Arab Contractors. Investment: approximately $4.5 billion for the two-line Cairo monorail network (East Nile and West Nile). O&M: The consortium has a 30-year contract to operate and maintain the system.
project team
Alstom: Responsible for the “brains and physical strength” of the system. This includes the supply of 40 Innovia 300 train sets (manufactured in Derby, UK), a Cityflo 650 signaling system and overall system integration.
Orascom Construction: Focuses on civil engineering and infrastructure. Its scope included the design and construction of all stations, track structures (elevated lines), and major depots.
Arab Contractors (Osman Ahmed Osman & Co.): partnered with Orascom for the major civil works, bridge structures and utility diversions required along the 56.5 km route.
Sener (Spain): Leads in design engineering (special bridges, architecture and system assurance).
Shaker Consultancy Group: Sener’s local partner in electromechanical and architectural design.
Elsewedy Electric (PSP): Subcontracts the installation of power rail and signal systems.
Hill International (USA): Provides comprehensive project management and design review services.
Indra (Spain): developed a ticketing and access control system (QR code/mobile integration).
Schindler (Switzerland): Supplied and installed 136 elevators and 272 escalators throughout the station.
Innova Technologies (USA): Structural engineering specializing in beam manufacturing and alignment design.
ALTPRO (Croatia): Provides safety-critical signaling systems for infrastructure.
Owner: National Tunnel Authority (NAT) under the Egyptian Ministry of Transport.
Financing: Supported by UK Export Finance (UKEF), which along with JPMorgan, EBRD and the European Investment Bank (EIB) provided credit facilities to the lead buyers.
