Monorail of the New Administrative Capital
Over the past two years, the government has worked to expand the transportation network in Greater Cairo
Through new buses, new underground metro lines, railways, a new monorail and an electric train line, to facilitate access to and from new cities.
Signs are now being placed in the 6th of October district, west of Cairo, indicating that the monorail railway is under construction.
With the presence of a new means of transportation in Egypt, it will greatly help in solving the traffic congestion crisis and traffic in general
It will also benefit the Egyptian citizen as a means of daily transportation to and from new cities.
Here are all the details about the new monorail train:-
What is a monorail train?
The monorail can be described as an electric train that runs on single iron rails, as these rails are implemented on a concrete beam far from the ground surface and traffic intersections.
The most important feature of the monorail is that it :
- Environmentally friendly as it is powered by electricity.
- Construction costs are lower than the subway.
- Reduces congestion and traffic congestion.
- Connects Cairo to new cities.
- Ultra-fast and as safe and comfortable as possible.
- There are no intersections with any roads.
What companies are implementing the monorail project?
The companies implementing the project include «Canadian Bombardier Alliance – Arab Contractors – Orascom», under a contract worth $4.5 billion signed with the National Tunnels Authority in Egypt in August 2019 in exchange for designing, constructing, operating and maintaining the project.
The project “Administrative Capital Monorail” is receiving the attention and patronage of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and the Prime Minister, as it will connect the New Administrative Capital with Cairo Governorate and then with all Egyptian governorates; as the monorail will intersect with all means of transportation serving all governorates of the Republic.
The project implementation period is 34 months, starting in August 2019, and is divided into 4 or 5 months for financial closures, 24 months for completion of implementation and supply work, and 6 months for pilot operation with passengers.
The monorail’s design and construction will cost approximately $3.2 billion, with an additional €1.6 billion allocated for a 30-year operation and maintenance contract.
Bombardier Transportation, based on signaling and communications systems, is responsible for supplying trains, while a joint venture between Orascom and Arab Contractors is carrying out the project’s civil engineering work.
The National Tunnels Authority also selected an alliance consisting of two companies to carry out advisory and supervisory work related to the monorail project, and this alliance was chosen after submitting the most appropriate offer within the tender offered by the Authority.
These are the following companies:
Hill International, USA.
Egyptian Hajji Group Company HJI Group”.
It is worth noting that “Hill International” aims to support the state’s strategy in tunnel projects, as well as establish the railway industry and increase its capabilities in cooperation with the responsible authorities in making the project a success, which constitutes a progressive boom for the industrial sector in the country.
Information about Hill International
Hill International was founded in 1976 to become a global leader in project management and legal dispute resolution. Hill offers a full range of construction and project management services to help clients succeed in implementing investment programs, including:
Program Management, Project Management, Construction Management and Project Management Control Hill has managed more than 5,000 projects at a cost of $250 billion worldwide.
The alliance that will implement the project will operate and maintain this project for 30 years after its completion, and both lines must be operational by 2023.
The Minister of Transport and Communications added that the use of monorails as a form of technology is still not widespread, which is why there are relatively few manufacturers.
Cairo’s two monorail lines, which will cover about 100 kilometers between them, equivalent to the three metro lines, will also make a big difference in traffic levels because they can replace not only passenger cars, but also microbuses or buses.
They will also serve areas that have not yet received adequate transportation services, including the New Administrative Capital. Once the New Administrative Capital is fully operational, people will need efficient transportation to get there, making transportation easier.
What is the route of the monorail train
The New Administrative Capital line at Cairo Monorail will include 21 stations, while the 6th of October City line will include 12 stations.
The New Administrative Capital line will extend from the stadium, which connects the stations: Hisham Barakat, Nouri Khattab, Seventh District, Free Zone, Field Marshal Tantawi, Cairo Festival, Choueifat, Air Hospital, Narges District, Mohamed Naguib, American University, Emaar, Fountain Square, Al-Birwa, Middle Ring Road, Mohammed bin Zayed, Regional Ring Road, Al-Massa Hotel, Ministries District, Administrative Capital.
The 6th of October City line will start from Bulaq (Arab League) and connect the Ring Road, 6th of October City Industrial Zone – Al-Hosary Mosque – October – Juhayna Square – Zayed – Hyper One– Alexandria Desert Road – Mansouriya – Ring Road – Arab League.
The 6th of October Monorail line has fewer stations than the Administrative Capital line and is only 42 km long; the journey takes only about half an hour.
How will the monorail ticket price be
The government, in partnership with the coalition of companies responsible for implementation and operation, will determine the appropriate price for the ticket. It is worth noting that the ticket will not be subsidized by the state.
The ticket price will be determined in an economical manner that does not constitute a burden on the citizen, but only covers operation and maintenance expenses, while the state will only bear the cost of implementing the infrastructure of the two Egyptian monorail lines.
Compared to the high costs of the subway, the monorail will be about 30 to 40 percent cheaper to build, but it will carry the same number of people, operate faster, provide the same safety and comfort and reach new cities.
The monorail can also carry between 9,000 passengers per hour on a two-car train and 48,000 passengers per hour on a multi-locomotive train.
Which cities benefit most from the monorail?
6th of October City: The monorail connects the new expansions in October with Juhayna Square and Al-Hosary.
Sheikh Zayed City: The monorail station in Sheikh Zayed City is located at Hyper One Market, as this location is considered the main entrance to the city and one of its most important areas.
Engineers: The October Monorail line ends on League of Nations Street, and this will facilitate access to and from downtown Cairo from October 6 in a short time.
New Capital Monorail Project
Nasr City: The Administrative Capital Monorail route begins in Nasr City, where it connects the third line of the metro to the new capital, and there are 6 monorail stations in Nasr City
Fifth Settlement: There are several monorail stations in the heart of New Cairo, extending from Field Marshal Tantawi Station, then Cairo Festival, and on to the American University.
New Administrative Capital: The monorail is considered the most important means of transportation, as it will connect the new city to the rest of the country’s cities.
