A UK company that has been contracted to build monorails for Cairo has said it has completed its first units.
Derby-based Alstom has finished its first 12 monorails in a move it hopes will cut emissions in Egypt, which is hosting the COP27 climate summit.
The company is part of a consortium delivering a €2.7bn (£2.3bn) contract to construct and run the monorail.
Alstom's Derby works site managing director Mike Hulme said: "It's a fantastic project."
Mr Hulme said: "We secured the contract as part of a broader project to deliver new monorail systems in Egypt two years ago.
"We've actually been in the manufacturing stage for the past 18 months.
"It's one of the key projects we are delivering out of Derby."
Mr Hulme said the firm had been contracted to build 70 four-car monorail trains.
The first units have been delivered to Cairo, with the first due to be tested by Egypt's Ministry of Transport this week.
"It's certainly getting a lot of focus, particularly in the developing world. It's a high-mass transport system for all cities," Mr Hulme said.
"I think that's why it's gained the approval in Cairo. It's very green technology.
"It's something to be really proud of for the UK in terms of our expert capability.
"In all, it's exciting technology for the future."
Cairo's monorail project includes one 57km (35 mile) line, to serve as a connection with Egypt's new administrative capital and a second 42km (26 mile) line connecting to Giza.
Alstom said its monorails would be fully automated and driverless and would have the capacity to transport 45,000 passengers per hour in each direction when complete.
Mr Hulme said that because monorails run above the ground, they were cheaper and lower risk to install in cities than a conventional tram system.
In 2019, Derby City Council's leader Chris Poulter suggested an idea for a monorail in the city to connect it to a possible HS2 hub.
Mr Hulme said he hoped a UK city would adopt the technology in the future.
"The UK would be the ideal place to continue this journey. All the engineering for this project is based in Derby," he said.
"I'd like to think in the future we could secure this technology for some of our larger cities."
Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.
Ukraine is reason to act fast on climate – PM
COP27
Loved ones face selling beloved Derby dad's belongings to pay for funeral
Derby City Council warns of tough decisions amid economic crisis
Alert as avian flu outbreak confirmed in Derbyshire
Man seriously injured at building site near Chesterfield has died
Ukraine claims major gains as Russia exits Kherson
'Leap forward' in tailored cancer medicine
Inside the capture of a Russian oligarch's superyacht
Inside the capture of a Russian oligarch's superyacht
Weekly quiz: What was Trump's nickname for a rival?
Mother's grief at killing that's shocked Australia
The US wants to play in China's backyard
Brazil v Italy and 'the day football died'
Indian officer’s speech with child in arm sparks debate
BBC's Katty Kay challenges Kari Lake on election claims. Video
Iranian protesters look to outside world for help
The oil project being called a sin
The young US men choosing vasectomies
Istanbul's beloved 'brothel dessert'
The world's greatest unpaid debt?
© 2022 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.
