Egypt’s Light Rail Transit (LRT) System Project Updates

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The first phase of Egypt’s Light Rail Transit System has officially begun commercial operations. The new LRT line will connect the new administrative capital with the Adly Mansour station. The latter is a central metro interchange station in Cairo on the Cairo-Ismailia desert road.

Also Read: 2,000-km high-speed rail network in Egypt latest project update

The entire route is approximately 65.63 kilometers it features two light rail transit bridges, three stations, and one tunnel. The three stations each span over an area of 8,000 meters squared. Namely, the stations are Capital Gardens Station and Capital Airport Station. The final station is as Arts and Culture City Station. This station will be an interchanging station with Egypt’s Monorail that is still under construction. 

The Light Rail Transit (LRT) Project boasts a project contract worth $1.24 billion. It was signed in August 2017 by three companies. These companies were the National Authority for Tunnels (NAT) and the consortium of China Railway Engineering Cooperation. The third company was AVIC International Holding Corporation (CREC-AVIC INTL Consortium).

Egypt’s Light Rail Transit System ovreview

The systwm is being built to connect El-Salam district in Cairo with the 10th of Ramadan city in Sharqia governorate through the New Administrative Capital (NAC).

The project wis deivided into three phases. The first phase is 65.63 kilometers while the second, third and fourth pahses are 3.18 km, 18.5 km, and 16 km respectively. This brings the total length of the infrastructure to 103.3 km.

The entire system will be served by 19 stations and 22 trains that will travel at a speed of 120 km/hour.

Reported ealier 

Feb 2022

Egypt’s Light Rail Transit System to Become Operational in March 2022

Egypt’s Light Rail Transit (LRT) System that connects El-Salam district in Cairo with the 10th of Ramadan city in Sharqia governorate through the New Administrative Capital (NAC) is expected to become operational in March 2022 according to Kamel El-Wazir, the Transport Minister of Egypt.

The minister made the announcement after visiting a number of ongoing transportation projects, including the LRT system, in the company of Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and other state officials.

Project implementation

Egypt’s LRT System project is being implemented in phases, the first of which will connect the new capital with the Adly Mansour station, a central metro interchange station in Cairo on the Cairo-Ismailia desert road, over a distance of 65.63 kilometers.

The station will include an integrated transport complex featuring an LRT system, a railway station, a SuperJet bus station and a shuttle bus station, and a commercial investment zone, on an area of approximately 15 acres.

Also Read: Construction imminent for the first dual railway vertical-lift bridge in Egypt

This phase has already been completed at a cost of US$ 1.3bn, and it has been undergoing technical tests since January 12.

Egypt’s LRT System will undergo extensions in phases 2 (3.18 km), 3 (18.5 km), and 4 (16 km), which will bring the total length of the infrastructure to 103.3 km with a total of 19 stations.

Egypt’s LRT System rolling stock

During the tour, Madbouly followed up on the ongoing tests on the six-carriage trains for the LRT system, 12 of which have already been delivered out of 22 that will eventually be in operation, as well as a diesel-powered locomotive that will be used for workshop activities.

The remaining trains, designed to move at a speed of 120 km/hour, are being shipped by the international Chinese consortium of CREC-AVIC INTL.   The cost of the entire rolling stock is approximately US$ 227M.