Cairo Monorail: the East Nile Line to the New Capital
This overview was generated with AI from the public sources listed below and checked against them before publication. It has not had a complete human fact-check — treat it as a starting point and follow the sources.
14 sourced claims on this page, none individually verified yet — turn on “Sources in the text” to see each one.
How this atlas is made · What “last verified” means · What “source-checked” means · The full record behind this page
✎ Corrected 4 Oct 2026 3 sources added. · 2 revisions in all What changed →
The much-quoted 45,000 passengers per hour per direction is a design figure. No ridership has been published, and Al Jazeera found the trains sparsely used in June 2026.
what does this mean?
The strongest source is the operator's or the city's own reporting — an official report, dataset or press release. It grades who did the looking — not how well the project went. All four grades →Part of 1001 Smart Cities — 1,216 documented projects · 🏙️ 5 more in Cairo · 🚌 Public transport guide · 🚲 Mobility projects
Cairo's monorail carried its first passengers on 6 May 2026 over 16 stations between El-Musheer Tantawi and Justice City, and reached its full 22 stations on 27 June 2026 when six Nasr City stations opened. The 56.5 km elevated line runs from Cairo Stadium in Nasr City through New Cairo and into the New Administrative Capital, which this atlas holds as a separate city. Alstom supplies 40 four-car Innovia 300 trains and CityFlo 650 signalling and says the line operates with fully driverless GoA4 signalling; no independent confirmation of unattended running was found, and none of the sources checked reports staff aboard. The National Authority for Tunnels owns the line; a consortium of Bombardier (now part of Alstom), Orascom Construction and Arab Contractors won a 2019 design-and-build contract with 30 years of operation and maintenance, covering this line and a second line between Giza and 6th of October City, whose full trial operation the transport minister targeted in August 2026 for early 2027. The much-quoted 45,000 passengers per hour per direction is a design figure. Fares run from 20 to 80 pounds by distance.
📊 Impact
No ridership figure had been published by October 2026. The only outside observation is Al Jazeera's from the first days of service: only a handful of passengers in carriages at peak hours, and stations difficult to reach for some commuters. Alstom says its project assessment cuts the El-Musheer Tantawi to Justice City trip from around 1 hour 20 minutes by road to about 40 minutes — a supplier projection, not a measured result.
🎓 Lesson
Rolling stock does not settle an automation claim. Cairo's GoA4 label rests on the supplier's statement, and the atlas has the counter-case in its own corpus: the same Innovia 300 monorail runs São Paulo's Line 15, where staff rode the trains from 2014 until unattended operation began in March 2025. Until an operating rulebook or an independent observer says what is aboard, GoA4 in Cairo is a specification, not an observed practice.
Sources
Show 6 more sourcesShow fewer
📅 How old is the evidence?
Two clocks, kept apart: when this entry’s sources were published, and what has happened to its record in the atlas. Documented span: since 2026. 10 of 11 sources carry a publication date, from 5 August 2019 to 30 August 2026.
When the sources were published
- Bombardier Transportation · vendorBombardier Transportation / Orascom Construction — consortium wins contract to supply and operate two monorail lines in Egypt (5 August 2019)
- Global Trade Review · pressGlobal Trade Review — UK Export Finance backs Bombardier monorail project (20 January 2021)
- Railway Technology (GlobalData) · pressRailway Technology — Cairo Monorail project profile
- Alstom · vendorAlstom — Alstom celebrates a decade of operation of the São Paulo Monorail Line 15 (29 August 2024)
- Diário do Transporte · pressDiário do Transporte — Line 15 begins fully automated operation (14 Mar 2025)
- RailwayPro · pressRailway PRO — Africa's first monorail has begun commercial operations (May 2026)
- Alstom · vendorAlstom — commercial service begins for the East of Nile Monorail (May 2026)
- Al Jazeera · pressAl Jazeera — Egypt's new monorail offers a modern ride, but Cairo is still not convinced (1 June 2026)
Show 2 more dated sourcesShow fewer
- Egyptian Streets · pressEgyptian Streets — Egypt to launch second phase of East Nile Monorail on Saturday (26 June 2026)
- Youm7 (اليوم السابع) · pressYoum7 — Transport minister: West Nile monorail trial operation to begin in early 2027 (30 August 2026)
What happened to this record
Show your work What this page rests on and what it can’t tell you · all 14 claims with their sources · the forensic record
Evidence file · public beta 14 addressable claims, 11 source dossiers, one permanent baseline. The file is unreviewed — an AI-assisted structural migration, not a human or expert endorsement. Every revision keeps a permanent copy under revision history.
Inspect the claims, one by one — verbatim text, sources and caveats for all 14
The text below is copied verbatim from the published record. Each claim names the source dossiers that carry it; caveats stay attached to the claim they qualify.
clm-21477de472a4e0ce
quantitative
Cairo's monorail carried its first passengers on 6 May 2026 over 16 stations between El-Musheer Tantawi and Justice City
Sources carrying this claim
clm-91028ebc3940ec76
quantitative
reached its full 22 stations on 27 June 2026 when six Nasr City stations opened
Sources carrying this claim
clm-e73962dab9a9af84
quantitative
The 56.5 km elevated line runs from Cairo Stadium in Nasr City through New Cairo and into the New Administrative Capital
Sources carrying this claim
clm-b8b2f64c894ae9e3
quantitative
Alstom supplies 40 four-car Innovia 300 trains and CityFlo 650 signalling
Sources carrying this claim
clm-6868c8238e1b6d27
quantitative
says the line operates with fully driverless GoA4 signalling; no independent confirmation of unattended running was found
Sources carrying this claim
clm-502083ec17c800d6
quantitative
The National Authority for Tunnels owns the line; a consortium of Bombardier (now part of Alstom), Orascom Construction and Arab Contractors won a 2019 design-and-build contract with 30 years of operation and maintenance, covering this line and a second line between Giza and 6th of October City
Sources carrying this claim
clm-310a94110b780f89
quantitative
whose full trial operation the transport minister targeted in August 2026 for early 2027
Sources carrying this claim
clm-98f8ab145f080596
quantitative
The much-quoted 45,000 passengers per hour per direction is a design figure.
Sources carrying this claim
clm-890fc3414956f31d
quantitative
Fares run from 20 to 80 pounds by distance.
Sources carrying this claim
clm-7cadb222c2dad2fd
quantitative
No ridership figure had been published by October 2026.
Sources carrying this claim
clm-b440892912847dac
descriptive
only a handful of passengers in carriages at peak hours, and stations difficult to reach for some commuters
Sources carrying this claim
clm-e9153e47a88dbe1d
quantitative
Alstom says its project assessment cuts the El-Musheer Tantawi to Justice City trip from around 1 hour 20 minutes by road to about 40 minutes
Sources carrying this claim
clm-a7f1de2c4ee9040f
quantitative
the same Innovia 300 monorail runs São Paulo's Line 15, where staff rode the trains from 2014 until unattended operation began in March 2025
Sources carrying this claim
clm-73e286d58ac1434a
quantitative
Cairo's GoA4 label rests on the supplier's statement
Sources carrying this claim
Forensic record — source dossiers, gaps, hashes and the exact revision this page renders
This layer records what is known about each source, what is still missing, and the exact snapshot this page is rendering. A missing date, archive or hash stays visible as missing.
Awaiting operator and domain-expert review; publication of this revision implies neither.
sha256:4be72752f43e7ec2673eac7a78f6cc246f30eae46154d18837bd64c4915e8f63
- 14
- of 14 claims mapped
- 11
- source dossiers
- 10
- publication dates recorded
- 0
- archives linked
- 0
- exact locators
- 0
- content captures hashed
Governance facts carried by the record
- Operator
- National Authority for Tunnels (owner); Alstom, Orascom Construction and Arab Contractors consortium under a 30-year O&M contract
- Actor types
- private
- Funding model
- public
- Funding description
- Egyptian state borrowing; £1.7bn UK Export Finance guarantee (2021) behind a JP Morgan-led syndicated buyer credit, reinsured by SACE and CESCE
- Cost
- ≈$4.5bn (2019 contract value, both lines, including 30 years of O&M); the construction contract alone is put at ≈€2.7bn, or ≈€4.1bn once the 30-year operation and maintenance is included — the same asset at three figures, depending on what is counted
- Ownership
- Not recorded
- Decision rights
- Not recorded
- Exit conditions
- Not recorded
11 source dossiers
Al Jazeera — Egypt's new monorail offers a modern ride, but Cairo is still not convinced (1 June 2026)
- Stable source ID
src-d67bc089af128d06- Publisher
- Name not classified · aljazeera.com
- Type / language
- web-page · language not classified
- Published
- 2026-06-01
- Updated
- Not recorded
- Source last checked
- No source-level check date
- Record last verified
- 2026-10-04
- Dossier created
- 2026-10-04
- Retrieved copy
- No local capture recorded
- Archive
- No archived copy linked
- Content hash
- No captured content hash
- Locator
- Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Open the recorded source note
Independent reporting from the first weeks: opening on 6 May 2026 with 16 of 22 stations, 56.6 km from Nasr City to the New Administrative Capital, fares tiered from 20 to 80 pounds with a 50% subscription discount, only a handful of passengers at peak hours, stations difficult to reach for some commuters, and an analyst's calculation that daily use takes about 22% of the minimum wage.
Egyptian Streets — Egypt to launch second phase of East Nile Monorail on Saturday (26 June 2026)
- Stable source ID
src-180b299b5787f061- Publisher
- Name not classified · egyptianstreets.com
- Type / language
- web-page · language not classified
- Published
- 2026-06-26
- Updated
- Not recorded
- Source last checked
- No source-level check date
- Record last verified
- 2026-10-04
- Dossier created
- 2026-10-04
- Retrieved copy
- No local capture recorded
- Archive
- No archived copy linked
- Content hash
- No captured content hash
- Locator
- Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Open the recorded source note
The transport ministry's announcement of phase two: six Nasr City stations (Cairo Stadium, Hisham Barakat, Al-Azhar University, Seventh District, Field Marshal Ahmed Ismail, Jehan El-Sadat) open on Saturday 27 June 2026, bringing all 22 stations into service; daily operation 06:00–21:00; interchanges with Metro Line 3 and the LRT. No ridership figure.
Bombardier Transportation / Orascom Construction — consortium wins contract to supply and operate two monorail lines in Egypt (5 August 2019)
- Stable source ID
src-75f1a02859576584- Publisher
- Name not classified · globenewswire.com
- Type / language
- web-page · language not classified
- Published
- 2019-08-05
- Updated
- Not recorded
- Source last checked
- No source-level check date
- Record last verified
- 2026-10-04
- Dossier created
- 2026-10-04
- Retrieved copy
- No local capture recorded
- Archive
- No archived copy linked
- Content hash
- No captured content hash
- Locator
- Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Open the recorded source note
Fetched. Primary contract source, supplier-issued. Scope: design and build two lines plus 30 years of O&M; 54 km East Cairo to the New Administrative Capital and 42 km 6th of October City to Giza; 70 four-car Innovia Monorail 300 trains (280 cars); total value 'exceeds $4.5 billion US (4.1 billion euro)', of which Bombardier $2.85bn and Orascom Construction close to $900m. Language is 'flagship performance in driverless operations'; the release makes no 'longest driverless monorail' claim.
- Claims linked
Global Trade Review — UK Export Finance backs Bombardier monorail project (20 January 2021)
- Stable source ID
src-2d2bfb7bac4247b3- Publisher
- Name not classified · gtreview.com
- Type / language
- web-page · language not classified
- Published
- 2021-01-20
- Updated
- Not recorded
- Source last checked
- No source-level check date
- Record last verified
- 2026-10-04
- Dossier created
- 2026-10-04
- Retrieved copy
- No local capture recorded
- Archive
- No archived copy linked
- Content hash
- No captured content hash
- Locator
- Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Open the recorded source note
Fetched. Financing detail: £1.7bn UKEF guarantee behind a €1.89bn facility (including financed ECA premium), JP Morgan as initial mandated lead arranger and facility agent with CaixaBank, Crédit Agricole, Credit Suisse, KfW Ipex-Bank, NatWest, Société Générale and UBS; SACE and CESCE as reinsurers; described as the largest amount UKEF has ever provided for an overseas infrastructure project.
- Claims linked
Railway PRO — Africa's first monorail has begun commercial operations (May 2026)
- Stable source ID
src-c2ba73a53825a329- Publisher
- Name not classified · railwaypro.com
- Type / language
- web-page · language not classified
- Published
- 2026-05-06
- Updated
- Not recorded
- Source last checked
- No source-level check date
- Record last verified
- 2026-10-04
- Dossier created
- 2026-10-04
- Retrieved copy
- No local capture recorded
- Archive
- No archived copy linked
- Content hash
- No captured content hash
- Locator
- Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Open the recorded source note
Trade press relaying Alstom's announcement: CBTC GoA4 signalling described as fully automated operation without a driver on board, 16 of 22 stations at launch, vehicles built in Derby, capacity of up to 45,000 passengers per hour per direction at maximum, and platform screen doors. Not independent of the supplier.
- Claims linked
Railway Technology — Cairo Monorail project profile
- Stable source ID
src-d0fa3fb9c0e34112- Publisher
- Name not classified · railway-technology.com
- Type / language
- web-page · language not classified
- Published
- 2024-04-17
- Updated
- Not recorded
- Source last checked
- No source-level check date
- Record last verified
- 2026-10-04
- Dossier created
- 2026-10-04
- Retrieved copy
- No local capture recorded
- Archive
- No archived copy linked
- Content hash
- No captured content hash
- Locator
- Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Open the recorded source note
Fetched (article dated April 2024, pre-opening). Trade profile corroborating route geometry (Line 1 54 km/22 stations; Line 2 42 km/13 stations, Boulak to 6th of October City), the $4.5bn Alstom-led consortium contract of August 2019, the UKEF £1.7bn plus New Urban Communities Authority loans on 14-year terms, 70 Innovia 300 trains at up to 80 km/h, CityFlo 650 moving-block CBTC, the 30-year O&M term and 45,000 pphpd. Its completion targets (Line 1 late 2024, Line 2 2025) were both missed.
Wikipedia — Cairo Monorail
- Stable source ID
src-d576b85d1754419d- Publisher
- Name not classified · en.wikipedia.org
- Type / language
- web-page · language not classified
- Published
- Not recorded
- Updated
- Not recorded
- Source last checked
- No source-level check date
- Record last verified
- 2026-10-04
- Dossier created
- 2026-10-04
- Retrieved copy
- No local capture recorded
- Archive
- No archived copy linked
- Content hash
- No captured content hash
- Locator
- Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Open the recorded source note
Reference work used for route geography: East Nile line from Stadium to Justice City, 56.5 km, 22 stations, inaugurated 20 March 2026 with public service from 6 May. It also states the West Nile line has no estimated operation date. Its attribution of financing to the EBRD and EIB is not corroborated by any other source and is not used.
- Claims linked
Alstom — commercial service begins for the East of Nile Monorail (May 2026)
- Stable source ID
src-044319267388a660- Publisher
- Name not classified · alstom.com
- Type / language
- web-page · language not classified
- Published
- 2026-05-06
- Updated
- Not recorded
- Source last checked
- No source-level check date
- Record last verified
- 2026-10-04
- Dossier created
- 2026-10-04
- Retrieved copy
- No local capture recorded
- Archive
- No archived copy linked
- Content hash
- No captured content hash
- Locator
- Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Open the recorded source note
The supplier's announcement of commercial service: 16 of 22 stations open, 56 km from East Cairo to the New Administrative Capital, an ultimate capacity of up to 45,000 passengers per hour per direction, fully driverless CBTC GoA4 signalling, platform screen doors, and a project assessment putting the El-Moshir Tantawi to Justice City trip at about 40 minutes against around 1 hour 20 minutes by road.
Youm7 — Transport minister: West Nile monorail trial operation to begin in early 2027 (30 August 2026)
- Stable source ID
src-49cd0c27c7bc8c39- Publisher
- Name not classified · youm7.com
- Type / language
- web-page · language not classified
- Published
- 2026-08-30
- Updated
- Not recorded
- Source last checked
- No source-level check date
- Record last verified
- 2026-10-04
- Dossier created
- 2026-10-04
- Retrieved copy
- No local capture recorded
- Archive
- No archived copy linked
- Content hash
- No captured content hash
- Locator
- Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Open the recorded source note
Transport Minister Kamel El-Wazir says the ministry targets full trial operation of the West Nile monorail (New October to Nile Valley, 43.8 km, 13 stations) at the start of 2027, possibly in stages, with a preference for opening the whole line at once.
- Claims linked
Alstom — Alstom celebrates a decade of operation of the São Paulo Monorail Line 15 (29 August 2024)
- Stable source ID
src-70aaad14f2cb6d34- Publisher
- Name not classified · alstom.com
- Type / language
- pdf · language not classified
- Published
- 2024-08-29
- Updated
- Not recorded
- Source last checked
- No source-level check date
- Record last verified
- 2026-10-04
- Dossier created
- 2026-10-04
- Retrieved copy
- No local capture recorded
- Archive
- No archived copy linked
- Content hash
- No captured content hash
- Locator
- Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Open the recorded source note
Alstom marks ten years of São Paulo's Line 15 monorail, opened on 30 August 2014, running 27 Innovia 300 trains with Cityflo 650 signalling.
- Claims linked
Diário do Transporte — Line 15 begins fully automated operation (14 Mar 2025)
- Stable source ID
src-d67e8e48bc650fdf- Publisher
- Name not classified · diariodotransporte.com.br
- Type / language
- web-page · language not classified
- Published
- 2025-03-14
- Updated
- Not recorded
- Source last checked
- No source-level check date
- Record last verified
- 2026-10-04
- Dossier created
- 2026-10-04
- Retrieved copy
- No local capture recorded
- Archive
- No archived copy linked
- Content hash
- No captured content hash
- Locator
- Descriptive only — not page/paragraph exact
Open the recorded source note
São Paulo's Metro starts fully automated GoA4/UTO operation on Line 15 from 15–16 March 2025, after a gradual transition since July 2024; unions dispute its safety.
- Claims linked
Known limits of this file
- Publisher names and source languages have not yet been classified; domains are recorded without guessing.
- Existing source notes are descriptive locators, not page- or paragraph-exact citations.
- A missing archive, publication date or content hash is shown as null rather than inferred.
- The project-level evidence grade ranks the strongest source in the entry; it is not a truth score for every claim.
Continue exploring
Compare this project
Explore the wider context
📎 Cite this project
1001 Smart Cities (2026). “Cairo Monorail: the East Nile Line to the New Capital” — Cairo, Egypt. The Smart City Atlas. https://1001smartcities.org/projects/cairo-monorail/ (last verified 2026-10-04). Data: CC BY 4.0.
The underlying data is free to reuse with attribution — see the open data page.
