Rail consortium awarded €800 million contract to modernise Cairo Metro’s Line 1

Credit: Hitachi Rail

A consortium composed of Colas Rail, Orascom Construction and Hitachi Rail has secured a contract to modernise Line 1 of Cairo’s metro system. The agreement, signed with Egypt’s National Authority for Tunnels (NAT), is valued at over €800 million. Colas Rail and Orascom Construction will each receive 35% of the total, with Hitachi Rail receiving 29%.

Line 1, Egypt’s oldest metro line, is vital to Cairo’s public transport, serving over 1.5 million passengers daily. As demand for efficient urban transportation grows, Egyptian authorities have prioritised boosting the line’s capacity and ensuring reliable service.

Under the contract, Colas Rail and Orascom will update the metro’s electric power supply, catenary systems and station electromechanical infrastructure. Hitachi Rail will handle upgrades to signalling, control and telecommunications systems.

Despite the complex nature of the project, the renovation will be carried out while maintaining daily commercial operations. The work is set to begin in October 2024 and is expected to take 64 months to complete.

Key figures in the project expressed confidence in the consortium’s ability to deliver. Alessio Bencivenni, Head of Ground Transportation Systems for Egypt at Hitachi Rail, 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 1.”

“The modernisation of Line 1, which Colas Rail helped to build in the 1980s, represents a new challenge. Over the next few years, many of the world’s major cities will have to modernise their underground railway lines to keep pace with the growing demand for mobility among the population. Colas Rail will be there to support its customers and boost the regional economy,” said Hervé Le Joliff, Chairman of Colas Rail.

The project is viewed as part of a larger trend where major global cities are modernising their public transport systems to accommodate growing urban population.