The Catalan Ministry of Territory and Sustainability (TES) and Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB) are heading a European project to provide technical and legal support to the Cairo metro company on the reform of regulations, procedures and practice in railway safety.
The initiative is part of a series of twinning projects promoted by the European Union to foster cooperation between public administrations in EU countries and candidate and Mediterranean countries.
The project consists of providing support for the local operator to build a complete railway safety management system, with all procedures, adapted to the countries and international legislation. Likewise, it includes assistance in building and training a human team to manage the system.
The Egyptian Government recently announced the awarding of the contract to the candidacy led by TES, which, as an administration will be in charge of the project, and TMB, will be responsible for technical management. Also taking part are Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat Valenciana, who will have an expert on site to work with the local operator; Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya and transport engineering company Ineco, as sector experts, and the Fundació Internacional i per a Iberoamèrica d’Administració i Polítiques Públiques (FIIAPP), a state body that promotes cooperation. The project, which financed by the EU with a budget of 1.3 million euros, will commence in September 2013 and last 27 months.
The Cairo metro, opened in 1987, is the largest in Africa. It has three lines — one still partially under construction — covering a total of 70 kilometres and 57 stations. It provides 2 million journeys day and is the backbone of mobility in the city, one of most highly populated in the world with 12 million inhabitants in the metropolitan area. One of the lines is currently being extended and there are plans to extend the network with more lines.
The Ministry of Territory and Sustainability and TMB were awarded this contract thanks to their experience in railway safety gained since the concept was defined and regulated by the EU and other official bodies. In this respect, in 2009, Metro de Barcelona created a Railway Safety Management Department and has become known in recent years as innovators in the field.
