Egypt to launch global tender to implement 1st metro project in Alexandria

CAIRO – 22 March 2021: Egypt’s National Tunnels Authority readies to launch a global tender for the implementation of the first metro project in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria.

The metro will run on the Abu Qir railway line after modifications and development works set to take place on the route.

Among the development works, there will be electrified signals installed at all stations of the new metro. All related studies and designs are finalized, announced the authority.

“The studies have concluded that some modifications will take place to the route of the Abu Qir railway line, as it will be diverted from a tram line into a metro line,” sources of the authority said.

Some stations will be cancelled and new ones will be added to the line. Bars and signals will be renewed, in addition to updating controlling systems.

The sources added that the first metro line will extend from Abu Qir station to Misr Station in Alexandria with a length of 21.7 km, including 20 stations, as 5 new stations have been added to the route, namely "Bab Sharq - Sporting - Miami - Kafr Abdo - Mohamed Naguib", in addition to the cancellation of the Raml El Merry station.

The sources confirmed that the National Authority for Tunnels will supervise the implementation of this project, and that the necessary financing is being provided jointly by the Ministries of Transport and International Cooperation in the form of easy international loans covering the cost of the implementation of this project, which amounts to approximately 1.5 billion euros.

The sources pointed out that it is planned to complete the entire implementation of the project within two years from the date of the contract with the company that will be selected during the global tender.

The project comes within the framework of organizing mass transport in Alexandria, and reducing traffic congestion in Alexandria governorate, and its design speed will reach to 80 km / h. The new Alexandria metro will operate according to a 3-minute trail time between each train, and its path will be completely isolated from traffic intersections.