Signing a contract to upgrade the systems of the first line of the Greater Cairo Metro 30/08/2024 | 02:45 PM
Lieutenant General Engineer Kamel El Wazir, Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development, Minister of Industry and Transport, in the presence of Ambassador Eric Chevallier, the French Ambassador to Cairo, witnessed the signing of the contract to modernize the systems of the first line of the Greater Cairo Metro, which includes (signals - communications - central control - electromechanical works - electrical power - overhead network - track works) between the National Authority for Tunnels and the alliance of companies (Colas Rail - Orascom Construction - Hitachi) led by the French Colas Rail. The signing was done on the Egyptian side by Dr. Tarek Goueili, Chairman of the National Authority for Tunnels, and on the part of the alliance of companies, Mr. Selim Helal, CEO of Colas Rail. Lieutenant General Engineer Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development, Minister of Industry and Transport, confirmed that this signing comes within the framework of the ministry's implementation of a comprehensive plan to develop the moving units and operating systems of the first line, which is 44 km long, so that the line keeps pace with the major boom currently being implemented in the means of electric traction "green mass transit" that are environmentally friendly. Especially since the first metro line is the first metro line in Africa and the Middle East, as it started operating in 1987 about 40 years ago until now, and is considered the backbone of the Greater Cairo Metro network. Therefore, the Ministry of Transport is keen to implement development works for this line to ensure the quality and continuity of the service it provides, to preserve assets, and to reduce maintenance and operating costs, especially with the great importance of the metro in alleviating traffic pressure on Cairo's streets and axes, and reducing pollution and travel time; as the metro is the best and fastest means of mass transportation operating within Greater Cairo. The Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development, Minister of Industry and Transport added that the line systems modernization works will be implemented in conjunction with the development of the fleet of moving units, as (23) trains are currently being rehabilitated, in addition to the manufacture and supply of (55) new air-conditioned trains for the line to accommodate the steady increase in the number of passengers after the completion of the metro network, as the line's capacity reaches 1.5 million passengers/day, and it exchanges passenger transport service with the second metro line at Sadat and Shohada stations and with the third line at Nasser station, as well as exchanging service with the first phase of the fourth line currently being implemented at King Saleh station, as well as with the sixth line currently being studied at Demerdash and Tora El-Balad stations, pointing out that the plan being implemented to develop the operating lines contributes to improving the service provided to the Egyptian citizen. On the sidelines of the signing ceremony and in a related context, Lieutenant General Engineer Kamel El-Wazir, Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport, held a meeting with the French Ambassador to Cairo, Eric Chevalier, to discuss strengthening joint cooperation between the two sides in various transportation fields. The Minister expressed the depth of relations between the political leadership and the government in the two friendly countries and peoples, praising the fruitful and positive cooperation in implementing giant projects on Egyptian soil in the fields of maritime transport, railways and the metro, which witnessed historic cooperation between the two sides in this field, expressing the great interest that the Egyptian government, represented by the Ministry of Transport, attaches to cooperation with Alstom to establish a huge industrial complex on an area of 66 acres in Borg El Arab City in Alexandria, which includes two factories: the first for producing electrical systems and railway components (signals - components - panels and electrical circuits for control - electrical braids...etc.) and the second for producing all types of moving units (metro - tram - LRT - monorail - fast train...etc.), provided that these factories are established according to the highest international standards and standard specifications of the French company Alstom, which are applied in all Alstom factories around the world, as well as interest in cooperation with French companies in localizing the automotive industry in Egypt
For his part, the French ambassador in Cairo expressed his great happiness at signing this contract, stressing the depth of Egyptian-French relations and praising the great achievements being made in Egypt in various fields, noting that there is great interest from French companies to complete all joint projects currently being implemented and future cooperation in localizing a number of important industries in Egypt such as the manufacture of mobile units for railways and the automotive industry