UK International Trade Secretary, Rt. Hon Liz Truss MP, has  visited Alstom’s Derby facility – previously owned by Bombardier –  to mark a major milestone in the Alstom-led Cairo Monorail project. The first Alstom Innovia™ 300 monorail for the project has been completed on time at the rolling stock manufacturer’s Litchurch Lane site and is now bound for Cairo.

In August 2019, an Alstom-led consortium also involving Orascom Construction and Arab Contractors signed a €2.7bn contract to design, construct, operate, and maintain the two lines. The project includes a 34 mile line connecting the New Administrative City with East Cairo and a second line linking 6th of October City with Giza.

Both lines are expected to open in 2023. After the construction phase is completed, the Alstom-led consortium will provide 30 years of operation and maintenance (O&M) services for both lines. The export of the cars from Derby, the UK’s largest train-building factory, is the first UK rolling stock export since the Gautrain project in South Africa, which was completed in 2008. The project will support hundreds of jobs at Alstom and across the UK.

“We are delighted with the progress on this landmark project for Egypt. Thanks to great teamwork and dedication, we have shipped the first Innovia monorail unit earlier than expected. We are committed to meeting our customers’ expectations and pursuing our long-term partnership with Egypt’s National Authorities of Tunnels. We strive to provide the country with state-of-the-art mobility solutions,” said Andrew DeLeone, President, Alstom Africa, Middle East & Central Asia.

UK Export Finance has led the way in delivering innovative finance to help British companies achieve international success in a wide range of industries across the world and it’s great to see Alstom Derby’s export project come to fruition. Our free trade agreements will open up new opportunities for UK manufacturers around the world,” said Rt Hon Liz Truss MP, International Trade Secretary.

Egypt is committed to improve mobility for its citizens, while reducing traffic congestion and environmental impacts Designed to integrate seamlessly into the urban environment, Alstom’s fully automated and driverless Innovia monorail systems provide an energy-efficient, comfortable and cost-effective mobility solution, particularly for growing or dense cities. The Alstom-led consortium is able to deliver the project because of £1.7 billion backing from UK Export Finance (UKEF), the largest amount of financing it has ever provided for an overseas infrastructure project.