Current financial year marks pivotal phase for Metro Express Ltd, states Minister Mahomed

The Minister of Land Transport, Mr Mahomed Osman Cassam Mahomed, underscored, this afternoon in Port Louis during a press conference, the significance of the current financial year for Metro Express Ltd (MEL), describing it as a pivotal year for the company as Government has allocated approximately Rs 1.64 billion to initiate debt recovery, commence the refurbishment of light rail vehicles, and meet the company's current expenditure.

The Minister was speaking in the presence of the Chief Executive Officer of MEL, Mr Rishikesh Brojmohun, and other senior officials.

The press conference followed an online meeting as regards the wider benefits of the Metro Express light rail system with Crossrail International Ltd, a public body of the United Kingdom (UK) Government's Department for Transport, which is engaged through the UK Green Cities, Infrastructure and Energy Programme.

Crossrail International Ltd is providing technical assistance under the UK-Mauritius Strategic Partnership Framework within the Growth, Trade and Investment Agenda. It has supported the Office of the Public Sector Governance in undertaking an Operations and Maintenance Review of MEL.

During the press conference, Minister Mahomed recalled that between 35,000 and 36,000 passengers use the light rail service daily. He highlighted the key findings of the review conducted by Crossrail International Ltd namely that the Metro Express system generates core monetised benefits estimated at approximately Rs 16 billion annually, based on assumptions and data provided by MEL and using a UK methodology.

According to Mr Mahomed, these monetised benefits have not been considered when assessing the construction and operational costs of the Metro Express system. The positive outcomes include avoided road accidents; benefits to users from business, commuting and leisure travel; the energy value attributed to avoided carbon emissions; and reduced traffic congestion. Wider economic benefits comprise the value of contracts awarded to local businesses and small and medium enterprises since 2021; the employment supported through MEL subcontractors; and the wider societal value of jobs created.

The Minister also outlined the progress achieved by the company, indicating that, as at June 2025, compared with June 2024, MEL had reduced its total operational expenditure by 10.4 per cent through the implementation of a series of cost-saving measures. These comprise the closure of under-utilised administrative offices incurring exceptionally high rental costs; the suspension of light rail vehicle operations on public holidays along Line 2 between Rose Hill Central and Mahatma Gandhi, Réduit; the reduction in the number of light rail vehicles operating on Line 2 during Saturday early mornings and late afternoons; as well as measures to address fare evasion through the recruitment of additional ticket controllers.

Furthermore, the Minister referred to the strategies being implemented to increase revenue. These include improving the availability of light rail vehicle services during peak hours, increasing revenue through the commercialisation of advertising space, and optimising operations with the forthcoming introduction, on a pilot basis, of a direct light rail service between Curepipe Central Light Rail Station and Mahatma Gandhi Light Rail Station in Réduit.

Looking ahead, Mr Mahomed spoke of the long-term possibility, subject to Cabinet approval, of extending the Metro Express network to the Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport and the southern region of the country. He pointed out that extending the existing Port Louis–Curepipe line to the airport would be feasible through the use of the former railway tracks along the Port Louis - Mahebourg corridor.

01 July 2026

Email: gis@govmu.org

Website: https://gis.govmu.org

Mobile App: GIS News

Topics: Transport