Egypt’s Ministry of Transport signed several agreements covering existing and new projects in the railway sector during the TRANSMEA 2023 event that is underway in Cairo.

Four contracts, five memoranda of understanding and one framework agreement were signed during the event in the presence of the Minister of Transport Kamel Al-Wazir.

The agreements, compiled from the Arabic language press statement by the Ministry, have been summarised below:

  • Consultancy contract awarded to Spain’s TYPSA by the National Authority for Tunnels (NAT) to carry out a preliminary study for extending the Cairo Metro Line 1 (Helwan - El Marg) to Shibin El Qanater. The extension will have a length of about 19 kilometres and 14 stations.

The scope of the contract includes a feasibility study, an initial assessment of the environmental and social impact of the extension project, its impact on the existing operations of Line 1 and the preparation of preliminary technical specifications documents. The contract will be financed by a non-refundable grant from Spain’s FIEM [Corporate Internationalisation Fund].

  • MOU signed by NAT and Spain’s CAF to extend a previous contract [awarded in November 2021] to refurbish 23 trains for Cairo Metro Line 1 to include maintaining the trains for 10 years and supplying spare parts.
  • Another MOU was signed between NAT and CAF to refurbish and maintain 39 trains operating on Cairo Metro Line 2 for 10 years. CAF will also work on obtaining funding for both contracts.

Apart from the refurbishment deal with CAF for Line 1, the Ministry of Transport, through NAT, previously signed a contract for procuring 55 new air-conditioned trains for the line.

For Line 2, apart from the new deal with CAF for refurbishing 39 trains, NAT had previously signed a contract in 2019 with Hyundai Rotem to supply six air-conditioned trains and two locomotives. With another [unattributed] contract for the supply of 7 new trains, the total number of trains operating on Line 2 will reach 52.

  • NAT and China’s AVIC International Holding Corporation (AVIC INTL) and China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group signed a framework agreement to design and implement Phase 4 of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) project, also called the 10th of Ramadan Railway Project. Phase 4 will have a length of 16 km with three stations.

Under the framework agreement, the Chinese consortium will negotiate with the government to arrive at a design-supply-build agreement at the same prices as the previous phase. The contract also includes the supply of 8 trains.

Local contractors would carry out the civil works under the supervision of the Chinese consortium, which will also support NAT in obtaining the necessary funding for the phase.

In September 2023, Bloomberg Asharq reported that China’s Export-Import Bank (Exim) approved a $400 million loan for Egypt to finance the third phase.

The LRT aims to connect El Salam City (East of Cairo) with the New Administrative Capital (NAC) through the 10th of Ramadan City in multiple phases and serve other new cities, including El Obour, Al Shorouk, Mostakbal City and Badr City. The 111km long project with 20 stations is being implemented over five phases.

Phase I covers 65.63km in length and includes 11 surface stations.

Phase II covers 3.18km in length and includes one elevated station.

Phase III covers 20.4km and includes three elevated and one surface station.

Phase IV covers 16km with three elevated and one surface station

Phase V covers 5.5km and features one station

  • An MOU was signed between NAT and AVEC INTL for implementing Phase 5 of the LRT to serve a planned industrial zone in the NAC. The Chinese firm is expected to submit a technical and financial offer within eight months from the date of signing of the MOU with the exact specifications and prices for the previous stages. The civil works will be carried out by local contractors directly contracted by NAT, and AVIC is expected to support the Authority in obtaining financing from Chinese institutions.
  • Another MOU was signed between NAT and AVIC INTL to implement an extension of the LRT from El Rehab Interchange Station [of Cairo Metro Line 4 Phase 2] to the NAC in the R3 area next to the monorail station. The LRT extension will have a length of about 40km and eight stations and serve Rehab City, Dar Misr El Koronfel, Madinaty, Shorouk, Badr and New Heliopolis.

Under the MOU, AVIC INTL is expected to submit a technical and financial bid within 12 months to carry out engineering, construction and electromechanical works, in addition to the workshop and the supply of trains with the same specifications and prices of design-supply–construction for Phase 3 of LRT. Local contractors contracted by NAT will carry out the civil works. AVIC will also support the Authority in obtaining the necessary financing under the same terms as for Phase 2 from Chinese financing institutions.

  • MOU signed by the Delta Development Consortium (DDC) comprising of El-Didi Group and China Railway International (CRIC) with NAT for a high-speed railway between West Port Said Port and Abu Qir Port in Alexandria with a total length of 250km. The project will be procured under the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model.

In October 2021, an MOU was signed with a consortium of El-Didi Group, Gama Construction and Al-Raed Engineering Consulting Office for the project, but the same was dropped with the Egyptian government deciding to implement the project as a public-private partnership (PPP) instead of a state-funded project as envisaged earlier.

  • Announcement of the implementation of electromechanical works for the second and third lines of the high-speed railway by the consortium of Siemens, Orascom Construction and Arab Contractors.

 

  • A contract was signed between NAT and Orascom Construction for implementing the civil works package (CP402) in the eastern part (Fustat area) of Phase 1 of Cairo Metro Line 4.

Line 4 has a total length of 42km with 39 stations and is being implemented in two phases. Phase 1 covers a length of 19 km and includes 17 stations, of which 16 are underground, while Phase 2 covers a length of 23km and consists of 22 stations, of which 21 are underground. Line 4 will link the governorates of Cairo and Giza and the 6th of October City and handle 1.5 million passengers daily when complete.

Civil works for the western part of Line ‎‏4‏‎ – Phase ‎‏1‏‎ from Hadayek El Ashgar to Amr ibn El Aas, which is 13.7km long with 12 stations, is being implemented by a consortium of Arab Contractors, Concorde, Petrojet and Hassan Allam Construction. Japan’s Mitsubishi Corporation is supplying 23 trains for Line 4.

  • Contract signed by NAT with the consortium of Orascom Construction, Arab Contractors and ElSewedy Electric for the design, supply, installation and commissioning of electromechanical equipment for the stations of the first line (Sokhna/Alamein/ Matrouh) of the high-speed railway

Line 1 of the high-speed railway connecting the port cities of Ain Sokhna on the Red Sea to Marsa Matrouh on the Mediterranean has a total length of 675km and includes 21 stations. It passes through NAC, 6th of October City, Alexandria and Borg El Arab City.

(Writing by Marwa Abo Almajd; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)

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