CAIRO inaugurated the second phase of metro Line 3 on May 7 when Egypt's president Mr Adly Mansour, prime minister Mr Ibrahim Mahlib and transport minister Mr Ibrahim El Demeiri officially opened the 7.2km eastern section between Abbasiya and Haroun El Rachid station in the district of Heliopolis.

EGYPT is to revive plans for a high-speed line linking the Mediterranean coast with the country's far south, according to transport minister Mr Ibrahim El-Demeiry, who has described the project as "a top priority" for the interim government.

EGYPT's National Authority for Tunnels (NAT) has published a tender notice for a contract to supply and maintain 20 new nine-car trains for Cairo metro Line 1.

THE Catalan Ministry of Territory and Sustainability (TES) and Barcelona Metropolitan Transport (TMB) are to head a European project to provide technical and legal support for the reform of the safety regime on the Cairo metro.

THALES Spain has signed a Euros 109m turnkey contract to modernise and renew signalling systems on the Cairo-Alexandria line, in a project which will double capacity and raise the maximum line speed from 140km/h to 160km/h.

EGYPT's National Authority for Tunnels has placed a $US 360m contract with Hyundai Rotem, Korea, for 20 nine-car trains.

EGYPTIAN National Railways (ENR) reportedly lost £E 70m ($US 11.6m) between January 28 2011 and January 12 2012 in the midst of the uprising to overthrow the regime of former president Mr Hosni Mubarak.