The Cairo Monorail has begun carrying fare-paying passengers, marking a major export milestone for the UK rail industry, with the trains assembled and tested at Alstom’s Derby Litchurch Lane Works.
It is the first time since 2008 that a British factory has exported newly built rolling stock overseas, when Derby-built trains were shipped to South Africa’s Gautrain network.
The trains form part of a £2.3 billion contract to build and operate Egypt’s new monorail network. The project was supported by UK Export Finance (UKEF), which provided one of the largest overseas infrastructure financing packages in its history.
The contract was secured through international competition, with the first train leaving Derby just 20 months after the agreement was signed. In total, 68 trains were produced, with the final unit departing Litchurch Lane in January 2024. The programme supported around 150 direct jobs during delivery.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the project demonstrated how government backing and industrial capability could help UK manufacturers compete globally.
“Derby’s success in Cairo shows what Britain can achieve when government and business pull together – exporting to new markets, winning global contracts, and bringing jobs and investment back to communities across the UK,” she said.
Alstom said the project reinforces Derby’s status as a global centre for rolling stock expertise. Litchurch Lane remains the UK’s only facility capable of designing, engineering, building and testing trains for both domestic and export markets.
Andrew DeLeone, Chief Executive Officer Europe at Alstom, said: “The Cairo programme shows this site can compete and win anywhere. With UK Export Finance, we are pursuing opportunities across the Middle East, Africa and Asia.”
The Innovia monorail system is the first of its kind in Africa and one of the region’s largest urban transit schemes. The first operational section spans 42km, roughly equivalent to the length of London’s Jubilee line.
Designed to ease congestion and reduce emissions across Greater Cairo’s population of more than 20 million people, the fully automated network will eventually consist of two lines capable of carrying up to 45,000 passengers per hour in each direction.
Alstom said the programme also supports the future of Derby manufacturing. Alongside international export opportunities, the company is investing £35 million into its new-generation Adessia train platform and wider modernisation works at Litchurch Lane.
The company added that the site is now pursuing further monorail opportunities across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, targeting fast-growing urban markets seeking lower-cost rapid transit systems.
