EGYPT: The National Authority for Tunnels has awarded a consortium of Orascom Construction and Colas Rail a €1·3bn contract to build the first metro line in Alexandria.
The contract covers engineering, procurement and construction of the 21·7 km first phase of the metro line, serving 20 stations.
The project includes the conversion of an underused suburban railway to metro standards to link Misr main line station in the centre with Abu Qir to the northeast. The initial 6·5 km section from Misr to Al-Dhahriya would be at street level and the remaining 15·2 km would be elevated.
Interchange would be provided to the Rasheed railway line at Maamoura, and to the Raml tram network at Sidi Gaber and El Nasr (Victoria).
The project is financed through sources from the European Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development, the French Development Agency and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
Line standards
NAT said on September 7 that converting the railway to metro operation is intended to increase safety, eliminate road level crossings and pedestrian trespass incidents and replace diesel traction with electrification.
Capacity is to be enhanced from the current 2 850 to 60 000 passengers/h/direction, the line speed would be increased to 100 km/h from 25 km/h, end-to-end journey time would be brought down from 50 min to 25 min, and the minimum headway is to be reduce from 10 min to 2½ min.
Later stages
Extensions planned for the longer term would take the line to 43 km. A westbound extension is planned from Misr to Borg El Arab, and another further northeast from Abu Qir to New Abu Qir. Both extensions are expected to serve stations on a proposed national high speed network.
