Metro Express (Mauritius)

Mauritius had been without a railway system following the closure of Mauritius Government Railways in the 1960s.

Due to increased car usage and chronic road congestion, plans for a light railway system have been proposed over many years.[2]

On 31 July 2017 in Ebene the Government of Mauritius signed a contract for the creation of a light rail transit system.[3]

The project is led by the Indian company Larsen & Toubro, after winning a tender from the Government of Mauritius for ₨18.8 billion, of which ₨9.9 billion is being provided by a grant from Indian government.[4][5]

The first phase of the project was inaugurated on 2 October 2019 by Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.[6]

On 17 December 2019 Metro Express Ltd, the company running the system, announced that operations will start on 22 December 2019 at 11 am. For the initial period of 15 days the passengers were carried free of charge on presentation of a free ticket, valid in a given direction and for a given period of time. The promotional period ended on 10 January 2020.[7]

Phase 1 links Port Louis to Rose Hill. It was to be completed in September 2019 but the regular revenue service did not start until 10 January 2020. Phase 2 will extend the line from Rose Hill to Curepipe in September 2021.[8]

Some old railway tracks have been uncovered during construction in Rose Hill and may be used as exhibits for a Railway Museum.[9]

As of January 2020 single adult fare is ₨30 or ₨20 if the trip does not involve travelling between Coromandel and Barkly. Children below the age of 3 and eligible senior citizens and disabled people are entitled to free fares.[10]

On 26 July 2017, CAF announced that they had won a tender to provide 18 Urbos 100-3 worth over €100 million. The deal also includes providing the signalling system, automatic vehicle location system (AVLS), transit signal priority system (TSPS), depot equipment and a driving simulator.[11]