Close Menu
    What's Hot

    Transport Evolution Africa 2025 Champions Green Mobility & Inclusive Trade Corridors

    July 9, 2025

    Egypt’s Swypex Launches Approval‑Based Spend‑Control Card for SMEs

    July 7, 2025

    Ghana’s Complete Farmer Secures $2.5M from EU-Funded AgriFI Facility

    July 4, 2025
    Gulf Africa ReviewGulf Africa Review
    • Industry
    • Infrastructure
      1. Airport
      2. Hospitality
      3. Ports
      4. Power
      5. Rail
      6. Roads
      7. Transport
      Featured

      Osun seeks to capitalise on infrastructure momentum

      Infrastructure May 21, 2018
      Recent

      Salpha Energy Secures $1.3M to Expand Nigeria’s Solar Manufacturing Capacity

      June 6, 2025

      South Africa – Infrastructure Overhaul Set to Boost Transport and Trade

      May 16, 2025

      Navigating Challenges in the African Air Cargo Industry

      March 5, 2025
    • Business & Trade
      1. Agri-Business
      2. Entrepreneurship
      3. FDI
      4. Legislative
      5. MEA
      6. Telecoms
      7. Properties
      Featured

      Analysts predict bullish future for Nigeria’s REITs market

      Business Business & Trade January 21, 2018
      Recent

      Egypt’s Swypex Launches Approval‑Based Spend‑Control Card for SMEs

      July 7, 2025

      Liquify Secures $1.5M Seed Round to Unlock Trade Finance for African SMEs

      July 3, 2025

      Hizo Secures $100K Seed Round to Drive Intra‑Africa Payment Innovation

      June 30, 2025
    • Finance
      1. Banking
      2. Islamic finance
      Featured

      DP World and Nedbank Elevate Trade Finance in Africa

      Finance Trade September 18, 2024
      Recent

      DP World and Nedbank Elevate Trade Finance in Africa

      September 18, 2024

      Arab Coordination Group commits $50 billion for Africa’s sustainable development

      November 13, 2023

      MENAT to see investment flows increase substantially

      September 4, 2023
    • Innovation
    Gulf Africa ReviewGulf Africa Review
    Rail

    Urban rail transport: Calls for increased investment across Africa

    November 21, 20224 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Urban rail
    Urban rail projects provide a series of benefits in a number of different sectors.
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    Urban rail transport can provide a number of societal, environment and economic benefits to the continent if investment is increased, according to a new report.

    Urban rail transport, if investment is increased, can facilitate the avoidance of substantial carbon emissions and contribute to broader sustainability goals, delivering environmental, social and economic benefits for Africa’s growing cities.

    This is according to a new study from Alstrom entitled ‘The Role of Urban Rail in Sustainable Africa’ in collaboration with EY Climate Change and Sustainability Services. Alstom, a global leader in sustainable and green mobility solutions, released the study as part of the discussions at COP27.

    Soaring urban population

    Africa has a fast-growing population and the world’s highest urbanization rate. The continent’s urban population will increase from 600 million in 2021 to over 1.3 billion in 2050. A key challenge is to ensure that this growth meets the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 11: Making cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

    This new study shows that, for this to happen, African cities must advocate to develop more sustainable transport systems, both to reduce carbon emissions and to foster inclusive socio-economic growth.

    “It is indeed demonstrated that every increase in a modal shift to rail transport will bring better access to socio-economic opportunities, reduced congestion, increased safety and improved air quality, on top of decarbonization,” said Cécile Texier, Vice President CSR and Sustainability, Alstom Group.

    Urban rail transport: Vast potential

    According to the International Energy Agency, passenger rail’s modal share has stagnated globally at around 6% to 7% for a decade and must grow by more than 40% in the next decade for transport to remain on track to meet net zero.

    The study highlights the benefits that can be realized if the modal share of urban rail in African cities increases to 10% in 2030 and 20% in 2050 (compared to the baseline scenario of 1% today). A cumulative total of 1 005 million tons (Mt) of CO2 (1 gigaton [GT] of CO2) could be avoided between 2023 and 2050 in this scenario, compared to the status quo.

    This is equal to 32% of Africa’s total GHG emissions in 2019. One hundred and seventy-three million additional tons of CO2 would be avoided between 2023 and 2050 if urban rail systems were fully powered with renewable energy.

    Investing further in urban rail would bring proportional social and economic benefits leading to safer, healthier and more inclusive cities. By increasing the modal share of rail to 20% by 2050, 29 million cars would be removed from Africa’s roads each day, significantly decreasing congestion, road accidents and air pollution.

    An affordable option

    Urban rail is more affordable and more accessible than cars and unofficial transport systems, giving passengers easier access to jobs and key services such as education and health. This shift from road to rail could also support job creation related to construction and operations and maintenance in Africa, estimated at about 258 jobs per kilometer of new rail built. For example, a 60 km urban project would create over 15 000 direct jobs.

    Cairo’s urban rail projects

    The study also highlights the benefits brought by Cairo’s long-term commitment to public transport. “With COP27 in Egypt, it is an opportunity to highlight that Egypt was the first country in Africa to open a metro line in 1987 and has three operational metro lines, with two additional metro lines planned and two monorail lines under construction.

    The additional metro and monorail lines alone will allow the city to avoid a cumulative 35 Mt of CO2 emissions between 2023 and 2050, equal to 10% of Egypt’s total GHG emissions in 2019. Additionally, it provides the city with other social and economic advantages such as the reduction of 595 000 cars every day and a sharp reduction in congestion, estimated to cost Egypt USD 8 billion each year, savings that could be reinvested in green and digital mobility solutions, concluded Andrew DeLeone, President Alstom Africa, Middle East, and Central Asia.

    Cairo Infrastructure rail Urban Rail
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Telegram Email
    Previous ArticleGreen hydrogen: Africa could capture as much as 10% of the global market
    Next Article SANSA and NASA renew lunar partnership

    Related Posts

    Energy Infrastructure Power

    Salpha Energy Secures $1.3M to Expand Nigeria’s Solar Manufacturing Capacity

    June 6, 2025
    Infrastructure Trade

    South Africa – Infrastructure Overhaul Set to Boost Transport and Trade

    May 16, 2025
    Business & Trade Infrastructure Logistics

    Navigating Challenges in the African Air Cargo Industry

    March 5, 2025
    Add A Comment
    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    LATEST STORIES

    Transport Evolution Africa 2025 Champions Green Mobility & Inclusive Trade Corridors

    July 9, 2025

    Egypt’s Swypex Launches Approval‑Based Spend‑Control Card for SMEs

    July 7, 2025

    Ghana’s Complete Farmer Secures $2.5M from EU-Funded AgriFI Facility

    July 4, 2025

    Liquify Secures $1.5M Seed Round to Unlock Trade Finance for African SMEs

    July 3, 2025

    Hizo Secures $100K Seed Round to Drive Intra‑Africa Payment Innovation

    June 30, 2025
    • Business
      • Agri-Business
      • Entrepreneurship
      • FDI
      • Legislative
      • MEA
      • Properties
      • Telecoms
    • Infrastructure
      • Airport
      • Hospitality
      • Ports
      • Power
      • Rail
      • Roads
      • Transport
    • Finance
      • Banking
      • Islamic finance
    • Commodities
      • Agri commodities
      • Metals & minerals
      • Precious metals
    • Culture & Society
      • Education
      • Energy
    GAR logo
    © GulfAfricaReview.com 2014-2022, All Rights Reserved.

    Gulf Africa Review is a trade news and future networking platform for businesses leaders and trade organisations, established to first inform and secondly assist in facilitating the ongoing business and trade relations between the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Sub-Saharan Africa. We aim to provide an apolitical voice for this channel of economic activity in a way that benefits both geographies by improving the availability of information about market events, developments and opportunities, while publicising the successes achieved by this ever-broadening regional relationship.

      Subscribe to our newsletter

      Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.