Alstom, a global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, in partnership with Orascom Construction and Arab Contractors, announces the start of commercial service for the first portion of the East of Nile Monorail – Africa’s first monorail system – marking a major milestone in the development of sustainable urban mobility in Egypt. The Innovia monorail system delivers a fast, reliable and low-emission alternative to road transport across Greater Cairo. Stretching over 56 kilometres, with 22 stations, the East of Nile line connects East Cairo to the New Administrative Capital, significantly reducing travel time and improving connectivity between key residential, business and administrative districts. A total of 16 out of the 22 stations are now operational and serving customers commercially.
“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.
