RATP inks electric rail contract: French transport company RATP Dev has signed a contract with the National Authority for Tunnels to manage and operate the planned electric rail line between Salam City and Tenth of Ramadan City, via the new administrative capital, cabinet said in a statement yesterday. Ministers previously gave the authority the all-clear to contract with the firm in January. RATP Dev — short for Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens — operates the Paris metro.

About the project: The first and second phases of the 90-km line — which run from Adly Mansour station to several areas of the new capital — are expected to open in October. The line is being built by CREC-AVIC International Consortium (which includes China Railway Group Limited and Aviation Industry Corporation of China) working alongside a few Egyptian firms including Orascom Construction.