45 compete for high-speed, monorail plans

A total of 45 ''consortiums and international companies'' are competing to ''execute and fund'' two Egyptian railway projects for a ''high-speed train between Ain Sokhna and El Alamein El-Gedida'' and the ''monorail of the new administrative capital'', Egyptian daily Al Gomhuria reported on Friday, quoting an inter-ministerial committee that is set to announce the winners ''before the end of February''. The list includes 23 candidates for the high-speed train between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean and 22 for the monorail project connecting the western suburbs of Cairo ''6th of October City'' and Sheikh Zayed City'' and ''Nasr City'', said the newspaper, referring to a western district where the new administrative capital is being set up. The ''first phase'' of the monorail connection consists of 35km, has 10 stations and will serve one million passengers a day. Once the connection is completed, there will be 22 stations, said Al Gomhuria. The newspaper said that the committee managing the two tenders includes the ministries of construction and of transport. (ANSAmed)