Orascom Bags $1.4 Billion Alexandria Metro Rail Project in Egypt

The Cairo-based Orascom Construction, has announced that its consortium with Colas Rail has signed an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract with the National Authority for Tunnels (NAT) to build a new regional metro system in Alexandria, Egypt.

Orascom Construction and Colas Rail will deliver a new electrified metro system that will enable efficient, safe, and low-carbon mass transportation in Alexandria.

The first phase will upgrade the existing railway line from Abu Qir in the northeastern part of the city to Misr Station in the historic centre of Alexandria, 21.7 km in length with 20 stations, including 5 new stations, paralleling the Mediterranean coast, the Corniche and the preexisting Raml lines of the Alexandria Tram.

The second phase will start from Misr station to El Max in the southwestern part of the city, again paralleling the coastline. Finally, the third stage will extend inland from the Max station to Alkyl and then 21.7 km to the Cairo–Alexandria desert road. The network is expected to serve 10,000 to 15,000 commuters an hour.

The total contract value for the project amounts to approximately $1.4 billion. Funding for this project will be provided by the European Investment Bank (EIB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), L’Agence française de développement (AFD), and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

Orascom Construction also disclosed that French technology company Thales will supply the signalling, telecommunication, and automatic fare collection packages for the project. This initiative marks a significant milestone as it represents the first modernization of a transportation system in Alexandria. 

Other Projects

The company, which is dual listed in the UAE and Egypt, has a large portfolio of ongoing and completed projects in the infrastructure sector, including advanced and sustainable transportation systems.

Orascom Construction has played a major role in the development of Greater Cairo Metro since the 1980s and is proud to now build a modern metro system in Alexandria. This project also underscores Orascom Construction’s leadership and expertise in the transportation sector and indicates the Group’s ability to secure high-quality projects with funding from international financial institutions.

The Group’s current and past projects in this sector cover a wide range of state-of-the-art and sustainable transportation systems, and include major projects such as high-speed rail, metro, monorail, railway, and light rail transit across over 3,500 km in Egypt and the Middle East.

This project also extends Orascom Construction’s longstanding partnership with Colas Rail on past projects such as Greater Cairo Metro and future potential projects.