The ministry said the launch aims to enhance mobility between New Cairo and the New Capital and facilitate commuting for employees working in ministries and other institutions in the New Capital.
The first operational section includes 16 stations: Marshal Tantawi, One Ninety, Air Hospital, Al-Narges, Investors, Lotus, Golden Square, Beit Al-Watan, Al-Fattah Al-Aleem Mosque, R1 District, R2 District, Business District, City of Arts and Culture, Government District, Egypt Mosque, and Justice City.
The Ministry of Transport is moving to introduce a three-tier fare system for the East Nile Monorail, with tickets priced based on the number of stations traveled.
Fares would start at EGP 20 for journeys of up to five stations, rise to EGP 40 for up to 10 stations, and reach between EGP 60 and EGP 80 for trips of up to 20 stations once the full line is operational.
The ministry said the line will ease access to residential areas and districts in New Cairo and the New Capital, while connecting passengers to key destinations including conference and exhibition centres, hospitals and medical centres, hotels, mosques, shopping malls, universities, schools, headquarters of local and international companies, sports clubs, stadiums, and major squares and road axes.
The 16 stations have been designed in a modern style and equipped with passenger amenities, the ministry said.
Each station includes two fixed staircases, four escalators, and two elevators from outside the station, as well as four fixed staircases, four escalators, and two elevators inside the station.
Dedicated routes for people with disabilities have also been implemented in ticket halls and on platforms at all stations.
The first phase will provide interchange with the Light Rail Transit (LRT) at the City of Arts and Culture Station in the New Capital.
The monorail trains are air-conditioned and include safe inter-car gangways allowing passengers to move between carriages. They are also equipped with cameras in the train cabin connected to a central track-monitoring system.
Inside the carriages, LCD screens will provide passengers with trip information and may also be used commercially to broadcast paid advertisements.
Screens above the side doors will inform passengers of the train’s final destination before boarding.
For passengers with disabilities, the trains include designated wheelchair spaces equipped with securing mechanisms.
The carriages are also fitted with illuminated route maps above the interior passenger doors to assist passengers with hearing impairments.
The New Capital line extends about 56.5 km from Nasr City’s Stadium Station, an interchange with the metro through New Cairo to the heart of the New Capital, and includes 22 stations.
The East Nile Monorail forms part of a wider national plan to expand electric mass transit and reduce congestion in Greater Cairo, particularly as state institutions shift operations to the New Capital.
Egypt is implementing two monorail lines totaling about 100 km and 35 stations. Together, they will form a key component of the capital’s integrated transport system.
A second line, the West Nile (6 October) Monorail, stretches about 42 km from Mohandessein in Cairo to 6 October City and includes 13 stations, linking the western suburbs and new developments into Greater Cairo’s transport grid.
According to the National Authority for Tunnels (NAT), the monorail project is among the longest of its kind globally, operating a fleet of around 40 trains. Each train consists of four carriages with a capacity of about 562 passengers.
NAT officials say the system is designed as a modern, electric, and environmentally friendly mode of transport, consuming around 30% less energy than other electric rail systems while reducing emissions and noise by using rubber-tyred trains.
The trains are designed for automated operation to minimize human error, with operating speeds of up to 80 km/h and a design speed of 90 km/h. The system is expected to handle up to 45,000 passengers per hour in each direction.
Headways are planned at around 3 minutes, with the potential to be reduced to 90 seconds as demand increases, while train capacity could be expanded from 4 to 8 carriages in line with population growth in the new urban areas served by the line.
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