Egypt’s National Authority for Tunnels (NAT) has awarded a contract for the 1.2 kilometre extension of the Cairo Metro Line 1 from the El-Marg to the New el-Marg station to a consortium comprising France’s Colas Rail, Alstom and Alstom Egypte.

The project is valued at €24.7m ($27.7m). Colas Rail, a subsidiary of the Bouygues Group, will undertake the renovation of track, switches and crossings, the construction of new track, replacement of overhead lines, and the construction of all associated facilities.

France’s Alstom has been selected for the design, supply and installation of power supply, signalling and telecommunications equipment on the track extension. Its share of the total contract is valued at €12m ($13.5m).

The existing Line 1 network covers 44km of track and 35 stations. Its design capacity is at two million passengers a day, with 56 trains making an estimated 450 trips daily.

The existing track, completed in 1989, terminates at El-Marg.

Apart from the construction of the 1.2km double track, the contract calls for the construction of a new station at New el-Marg that will be connected to the mainline and to the control centre of Line 1, according to an Alstom statement.

The company said works will take 24 months and will not interrupt the operation of Line 1.

In November 2015, Alstom won two contracts for the supply of signalling and telecommunications systems and infrastructure for the Cairo Metro Line 3. Its Metropolis trains also operate in lines 1 and 2 of the Cairo Metro.