Background

The Cairo Metro (line 2)

As the biggest and most densely populated city in Africa, and the Arab World, the
case for a metro in Greater Cairo was strong. In 1987 that population stood at 10
million residents, not counting the two million or so commuters who came into Cairo
every day to work.[33] The capacity of Cairo's public transport infrastructure was
around 20,000 passengers/hour, which increased to 60,000 after the construction of
the Metro. In 1990 a study was conducted for the future needs of the city and
showed there was a need for about 8.4 million journeys by public transport and 2.7
million journeys by other modes, such as taxi and car. The actual public transport
capacity is 4.9 million journeys/day, 3.5 million short of the actual requirement.
This has led to a 50% increase in the number of taxis on the streets with
subsequent increases in traffic congestion in the city.[34]

Proposed plans
The idea of a metro was first proposed in the 1930s by engineer Saiyed Abdel Wahed
of the Egyptian Railway Authority,[35] however, the idea did not progress.
Following the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, there was renewed interest in the idea.
In 1954 French experts made a report about the future of the transportation in
Egypt. They proposed a metro encompassing two lanes, one 12 km long lane connecting
Bab al-Louq and Ismailia and a second 5 km lane connecting Boulaq and Abou al-Ela
Castle. They also proposed that there should be one company in charge of all
transportation systems.[35]

Later on multiple experts came to Egypt regarding that project: Soviet experts in
1956, Japanese experts in 1960 and French experts in 1962, which concluded the
following: The creation of a metro system with multiple lines. The first is a 5 km
line connecting Helwan with El-Marg going under the Kasr el Eini street and Ramses
Street.[35] The second line would be from Sayeda Zainab to Shobra going under
Downtown Cairo and would be 9.5 km long.[35] The third would be from Giza to
Abbaseya and would be 11.5 km long. The fourth would be from Al Awqaf to the Castle
and would be 6.7 km long.[35]

In 1964 British experts advised the creation of a metro line from Bab El Louk to
Shubra.[36] In 1966 Japanese experts advised the creation of a lane between Helwan
and El Marg and another one going through Mohandessin, Heliopolis and 26 of July
street, for a total of 26 km.[36] Lastly, in 1969, the government approved the need
for a study showing the needed capacity for Cairo's transportation system.[36] The
Egyptian Ministry of Transport issued an international tender for the creation of
the study. Eight companies applied and the French company Sufreto won the tender on
20 September 1970.[37] The study was finished in 1973 and included mainly the study
of the population development in Cairo and its needs for transportation capacity in
1980,1985 and 1990.[38] It concluded the necessity for three lines in greater Cairo
to solve the transportation problem. The first line would use the already available
railways (Helwan-Bab El luk and Al Laymoun Bridge-El Marg) and connect them through
a metro. It would be in total 43 km long. The second line would be 13.5 km and
connect Shubra El-Kheima and Bulaq going through Ramses Street and Tahrir Square.
The third line would go from El Darasa to Imbaba and would be in total 10 km long.
[39]

The priority for the project was the first line which would reduce 30% of the daily
transport to and from Cairo and would incorporate pre-existing rail infrastructure.
[39] The detailed study of the construction took 6 years from 1975 to 1981.[39] A
tender was made for the construction of the metro and the Egyptian-French company
Entra Nevra Arabco won it and had the task of constructing the metro system.[40]

Construction works
The construction of Line 1 started in 1982 after the French government agreed on
giving Egypt the necessary loan. The first section was opened on 27 September
1987[4] and the line was completed in 1989 connecting Helwan with El Marg and
consisting of 33 stations with a total length of 43 km of which 4.7 km underground.
[41] In 1999, New El Marg station was added to the northern end of the line,
bringing its total length to 44.3 km. Helwan University station was built between
Wadi Houf and Ain Helwan stations.[25]

Cairo's metro network was greatly expanded in the mid-1990s with the building of
Line 2, from Shoubra El Kheima to Cairo University, with an extension to Giza. The
line includes the first tunnel under the Nile.[42][43] The construction of the line
was finished in October 2000, and it was later extended to El Mounib.[42]

Proposed lines
Line 4 (October-Oasis Highway - the Police Academy)
Ambox current red.svg
This section needs to be updated. Please update this article to reflect recent
events or newly available information. (January 2017)
Line 4 is planned to run from Haram District to the New Cairo district, connecting
Greater Cairo from West to East. It will cross the two branches of the Nile river,
and have a total length of 24 kilometres (14.9 mi).[8][9] Implementation work began
in January 2018.[44] As of early 2019, construction is scheduled to begin in Q3
2019, with an estimated completion date of 2024.[45]

Phase 1 (west) of the project will run from El-Malek El-Saleh Station (Interchange
with Line 1) to the October-Oasis Highway Station with a total length of 18 km,
passing through Giza Railway Station (Interchange with Line 2);[46][47] the
original plan for phase 1 was for it to start from El-Malek El-Saleh Station and
end at the Grand Egyptian Museum Station with a total length of 10 km, but the
Ministry of Roads & Transportation decided to extend the Line in their efforts to
further connect the Governorate of 6 October to the Greater Cairo Area; phase 1
also includes the plan to connect the end of Line 4 to the suburbs of 6 October
mainly through executing The October 6th Tram system (The O6T) which will be by
using a tram-train system supplied with the Alstom Regio-Citadis trams.[48]
Mitsubishi corporation will supply 64 trains for phase 1.[44] This phase will have
15 stations to be constructed with a duration of 6.5 years.[25] Phase 1 stations
will be equipped with automatic fare collection system and platform screen doors,
and will include elevators for the use of disabled passengers.[25] Phase 1 bidding
has been postponed until May 2015 to enable Japan International Cooperation Agency
(JICA) to complete the feasibility study and to resolve other problems with the
construction starts by 2015 or 2016 according to Ismail El-Nagdy, Chairman of
National Authority for Tunnels with Japan International Cooperation Agency
financing $1.2 billion loan while Egyptian government covering the rest of $2.4
billion.[46][47][49][50]

Phase 2 will begin from El-Malek El-Saleh Station, passing east through Magra El-
Oyoun street and Salah El-Din Citadel in Salah Salem street and ending at the 6th
District Station (beginning of Nasr City district) with a completion date set at
October 2018.[8]

Phase 3 will begin from 6th District Station and ending at Makram Ebeid Station,
following Mustafa El-Nahas street in bored tunnels under the existing old tram
system, and ultimately deconstructing the old railway and paving its right-of-way
(increasing the street by two lanes in each direction, which is critically needed
to lighten the traffic congestion in the area). This phase has a completion date
set at October 2019.[citation needed]

Phase 4, the final phase, will begin from Makram Ebeid Station with bored tunnels
following Doctor Hassan El-Sherif street and Ahmed El-Zomor street, ending at
Police Academy Station near the Ring Road.[8]
Line 4 is expected to be fully operational by October 2020.[8]