Egypt partnered with Bombardier Transportation, a rail equipment division of Canada’s Bombardier, for a planned EUR 3 bn monorail project, linking 6th of October City to the New Administrative Capital (NAC), Invest-Gate reports.

Under the 30-year contract, a consortium made up of Bombardier, Orascom Construction, and Arab Contractors will build, operate, and maintain the new monorail lines, which will extend over 96 kilometers long, according to a recent presidential statement on on August 4.

The agreement also stipulates the localization of the monorail’s development, especially tractors and vehicles, paving the way for full cooperation between Egypt and the Bombardier-led consortium, while laying the cornerstone for providing access to the promising African railway market.

The consortium was first tapped as the tender’s preferred bidder in May, after languishing without a winning bidder for four years. The bid includes the project’s designing and building, the Canada-based company previously confirmed, highlighting that the rolling stock part of the order will be developed and built in Derby, UK.

In January, Egypt’s Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has revealed that two monorail projects, comprising 27 trains, will be soon introduced to Egypt, carrying around 48,000 commuters per hour in each direction. He added, “The first phase will have 108 railroad cars that can transport 24,000 passengers at speeds of up to 80 kilometers per hour.”