The National Authority for Tunnels in Egypt (NAT) signed an agreement with Alstom, a global leader in smart and green mobility, following the COP27, which was hosted in Sharm El-Sheikh. This agreement included Alstom designing, constructing, and maintaining the first driverless metro in the African region.
Cairo Metro Line 6, which consists of 27 stations including 12 underground, will presumably run 35 kilometers both ways from north to south, starting from Al-Maadi to Al-Khosous. Each train will hold approximately 2580 passengers during peak hours, leading to less congestion on Line 1. According to specialized experts, Line 6 could easily hold up to 1.5 M passengers yearly.
This comes under Egypt’s 2030 vision to design and operate a sustainable transport system. The trains are expected to enhance the efficient use of energy, as they will be built out of 98% recyclable materials.
The driverless Metro project also referred to as “Autonomous Mobility”, aims to avoid accidents and human errors by taking all the necessary measures to ensure passengers’ safety. This will lead to more reliable, efficient, and energy-saving railways for those who depend on the metro as an affordable method of transportation, even after the price increase in its tickets.
The government is currently making major progress in expanding Cairo Metro with a fourth line, running from 6 October City to New Cairo, and a fifth line extending, extending from Nasr City to El Sahel.
The National authorities have yet to release the official dates for the construction and completion phases, but it is confirmed that the new line will be managed locally, and Alstom will be in charge of maintaining it.
Andrew DeLeone, President of Alstom in Africa, Middle East, and Central Asia, said “We are proud of our partnership with the National Authority of Tunnels and to be part of the growth and modernization of Egypt’s urban network. In 2019, the city’s CO2 emissions due to transport were around 22 M tons of CO2 representing 40% of Egypt’s total transport emissions. This agreement, signed during COP27, demonstrates Egypt’s commitment to ensuring Cairo is an inclusive, safe, and resilient city.”
