Skip to main content

Thales to upgrade Greater Cairo Metro

More than 30 years after winning its first contract for the Greater Cairo Metro, Thales has signed two contracts with the metro operator; the first is for an upgrade of the fare collection system for Lines 1 and 2 of the Egyptian capital’s rapid transit network and the second for a full integrated communications and supervision system for the Al Thawra extension on the line 3 (Phase 3). Thales will deploy its TransCity fare collection solution on Lines 1 and 2 of the Cairo Metro, replacing the equipment
December 18, 2015 Read time: 2 mins

More than 30 years after winning its first contract for the Greater Cairo Metro, 596 Thales has signed two contracts with the metro operator; the first is for an upgrade of the fare collection system for Lines 1 and 2 of the Egyptian capital’s rapid transit network and the second for a full integrated communications and supervision system for the Al Thawra extension on the line 3 (Phase 3).

Thales will deploy its TransCity fare collection solution on Lines 1 and 2 of the Cairo Metro, replacing the equipment installed in the 1980s, when these first two lines were built. Under the contract, Thales will supply 850 access gates, 100 vending terminals for ticket outlets and 75 portable ticket control terminals, as well as implementing new system architecture. In addition, the TransCity central system will supervise all data generated across the existing network and accommodate future network evolutions and extensions. 

The 18-month project will be conducted on one of the densest public transport networks in the world with no disruption to passenger flows. Once completed, a combination of magnetic stripe and contactless fare media technology will make it easier for passengers to access the metro system. The new fare collection equipment installed at stations on Lines 1 and 2 will improve reliability while reducing maintenance costs.

Under the second contract, in a consortium with Alstom, Thales has signed a contract to implement an integrated communications and supervision system for 15 new stations and an additional depot on more than 17km Attaba to Rod El Farag and Cairo University. This extension is one of the Egyptian authorities’ strategic investments in Cairo to increase the level of public transport services and will result in 76 months of activity.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Ptolemus' short guide to picking an ITS winner
    January 11, 2024
    What makes a good ITS investment and what are the chances of the money coming into transportation creating an unsustainable bubble? Frederic Bruneteau and Alberto Lodieu of Ptolemus Consulting Group take a look at the market and suggest some key areas of interest for the future
  • Vancouver’s TransLink achieves one billion Compass Card ‘taps’ since launch
    August 30, 2017
    Canadian transportation authority TransLink’s Compass Card contactless smart card payment system, designed and integrated by Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS) has processed more than one billion ‘taps’ since its launch in 2015. Compass Card processes more than 43 million card ‘taps’ each month and over 1.5 million every weekday, with 95 per cent of all fares now being paid using a Compass product. The Compass Card links all of TransLink’s services and fare products in Metro Vancouver to a single payment s
  • Siemens to modernise metro line in Peru
    January 4, 2017
    Siemens is to provide the complete traction power supply for the first section of metro line 1 in Lima, which covers around nine kilometres. The modern power supply, upgrading of existing overhead contact line system and modifications to electrification in the depots will increase both the availability and the cost-effectiveness of the rail route. The upgrade will be carried out during ongoing operation. Lima's first metro line was completed in 2011, covering around 21 kilometres. The line connects the s
  • Louis Berger awarded Mumbai Metro Line four contract
    April 12, 2018
    The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has awarded Louis Berger the project management and construction management contract to work alongside a consortium for the city’s Metro Line 4. Once completed, the service is expected to reduce travel times between Wadala and Kasarvadavali by up to 75%. Line 4, expected to cost ₹15,549 crore ($1.59bn), will be a 32.3-kilometer long elevated corridor with 32 stations. The route will offer interconnectivity between the eastern expressway, central