Works on Cairo Metro Line 3’s Phase III to Start Next September

Egypt will start carrying out the third phase of Cairo’s underground third line next September, said Ismail El-Nagdy, Chairman of National Authority for Tunnels (NAT).

The implementation works for the third phase cost a total of EGP 17 billion (US$2.4 billion), he noted.

Speaking to Amwal Al Ghad on Tuesday, El-Nagdy stated that the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the French Development Agency will contribute €1.2 billion for the third phase; whereas the Egyptian government will cover the remaining costs.

The third phase will contain 23 stations connecting Cairo Airport in the east to Imbaba and Mohandisseen in the west.

Cairo Metro Line 3 is a main line of the Cairo Metro mass transit system in Greater Cairo, Egypt extends from the northwest of the Greater Cairo at Imbaba to the northeast and will eventually serve Heliopolis and Cairo International Airport. The line crosses the River Nile twice at the western branch between Kit Kat and Zamalek and the eastern branch between Zamalek and downtown Cairo. The total length of the line is approximately 30.6 km of which 28.1 km is an underground section and the rest of the line about 2.5 km shall be on grade[1] and will be implemented in four phases. The project includes a main workshop adjacent to the western terminal of the line and a light repair workshop at the middle of the line at Abbasia. The line will use trains manufactured in Japan by Kinki Sharyo Co. and Toshiba Corp.

At total cost of EGP 12 billion (US$1.7 billion), Egypt’s President Adly Mansour, Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab and Transportation Minister Ibrahim El-Demeiri have inaugurated last Wednesday the second phase of Cairo’s underground third line.

Cairo Metro, the first metro network in Africa, has been operational since 1990. The network consists of two lines, and a further two are planned.