Cairo has opened the first phase of its new monorail network, marking the start of passenger service for Alstom trains assembled and tested at Litchurch Lane Works in Derby.
It is the first time since 2008 that a British factory has exported rolling stock, when Derby-built trains were shipped to South Africa for the Gautrain network.
The Cairo trains form part of a £2.3 billion contract to build and operate Egypt’s new monorail system. The project was supported by UK Export Finance, in one of the largest financing packages provided by the agency for an overseas infrastructure project.
The programme also supported 150 direct jobs at Derby. According to the project timeline, the first train left Litchurch Lane just 20 months after contract signature, while the last of the 68 trains departed Derby in January 2024.
The first operating phase covers 42 kilometres, roughly comparable to the length of London’s Jubilee line. The system runs above street level on precast beams, a model designed to reduce construction complexity while providing high-capacity transport in dense urban areas.
Cairo’s monorail is described as the first system of its kind in Africa and one of the region’s most significant urban transit projects. Once fully developed, the driverless network will serve two lines and is designed to carry up to 45,000 passengers per hour per direction.
For Cairo, the aim is to reduce commuting times, ease road congestion and lower emissions in a metropolitan area of more than 20 million people.
The Cairo project also comes as Alstom invests in the future of its UK rolling stock platform. A three-year research programme and £35 million investment at Derby have supported the development of Adessia, a new-generation train designed for Britain’s rail network.
