A new era of smart and sustainable mobility in Egypt: commercial service begins for the East of Nile Monorail, transforming urban connectivity across Greater Cairo

“Cairo is home to nearly 25 million people, making it one of Africa’s largest and fastest growing megacities. The Innovia monorail system is a true game changer not only for Egypt, but for the wider African continent, delivering immediate capacity at scale while supporting a more sustainable future for urban transport”, said Martin Vaujour, President for Africa, Middle East and Central Asia, Alstom.

With an ultimate capacity of up to 45,000 passengers per hour per direction, the Innovia monorail system is designed to ease urban congestion and respond to the city’s rapid expansion. It integrates advanced, driverless technology to ensure high levels of safety, reliability and operational efficiency. 

Project mobility assessments demonstrate the monorail’s clear and measurable impact on everyday travel: journey times between El Moshir Tantawi station (ST07) and Justice city station (ST22) are reduced from around 1 hour 20 minutes by road to approximately 40 minutes, nearly halving travel time and delivering a measurable improvement in daily commuting efficiency.

The project sets new benchmarks for the rail sector through advanced technologies that redefine system intelligence, operational resilience and long-term performance. The East of Nile line operates with fully driverless CBTC GoA4 signalling, enabling highly reliable service. It is also the first project of its kind in Africa to integrate platform screen doors, enhancing passenger safety and comfort.

While the Innovia monorail vehicles were manufactured at Alstom's production site in Derby, UK, the testing and commissioning were performed by local engineering capabilities, laying the foundations for long-term operational resilience and sustainability.

“The East of Nile Monorail marks a major milestone in Egypt’s Vision 2030 journey toward smart, sustainable, and future ready urban mobility. With more than 98% of the workforce drawn from Egypt, this project showcases national engineering excellence and deep local know-how. Beyond transforming transportation, the monorail stands as a powerful symbol of local capabilities driving the delivery of world class, transformative infrastructure for the nation”, said Ramy Salah El Din, Managing Director of Alstom Egypt.

Alstom in Egypt

Alstom has been present in the country for more than 40 years, supporting the development and modernisation of rail infrastructure through landmark transport projects. Today, Alstom employs around 800 people locally and has established strong operational and engineering capabilities, including recognised centres of excellence in signalling, power supply, and depot equipment. These capabilities support complex rail programmes nationally and across the AMECA region, reflecting a deeply embedded, long term commitment and a solid industrial and technological footprint in the rail sector.

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