Egypt receives second batch of 32 air conditioned trains for Cairo metro
London, July 14, 2020 (AltAfrica)-Egypt has received a second of trains under a deal with South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem to supply 32 new air conditioned trains for Cairo Metro’s Line 3, Transport Minister Kamel El-Wazir said on Monday.
The first batch of eight trains was delivered about two months ago. A Cairo subway carries 8 train cars in 1 unit, which can carry about 1,740 passengers. Its maximum speed is 80 kilometers per hour.
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El-Wazir said that the arrival of several trains comes in parallel with the conclusion of construction at Phase 4 and the development of Phase 3 on Metro Line 3.
El-Wazir said the new trains will be equipped with an air conditioning system and a corridor that allows passengers to move from one carriage to another while the train is in motion.
They will also be equipped with closed-circuit television cameras for central oversight and LCD screens inside trains to provide passengers with information about their trips alongside paid advertisements.
Phase 4 of Line 3 extends through 10 stations from Haroun El-Rashid to Cairo International Airport with a total length of 15.8 km passing through the areas of Heliopolis Square, Alf Maskan, Gesr El-Suez, Hikestep Bridge, the Ring Road, and the Ismailia Desert Road.
Work on the phase began in July 2015 and the final cost of construction was 257 million euros plus EGP 1.842 billion.
The 32 new trains are part of a 2017 deal between the National Authority for Tunnels and Hyundai Rotem. The deal costs an estimated 317 million euros and EGP 640 million, which is being provided by the state treasury.
The agreement includes an eight-year maintenance deal for trains, and the assembly of 10 trains locally in Egypt with technical support from Hyundai Rotem.
The Cairo underground metro system carries more than four million passengers daily throughout the capital and surrounding areas.
The underground system, once deemed the cheapest in the country with a basic fare of EGP 1, has seen multiple price hikes in recent years to offset annual losses and develop ailing lines in the network.
Rides up to nine stops on the third metro line, which is currently the newest, cost EGP 5. Rides up to 16 stops are priced at EGP 7, and rides exceeding 16 stops cost EGP 10.
