I went to Egypt 2 weeks ago and I took the line 2 of Cairo metro.
:)
I post some photos here:
;)
http://i15.tinypic.com/483633r.gif
^^Network map. Copyright by UrbanRail.^^

Line 2:

http://i16.tinypic.com/47b3r4i.jpg
^^Metro logo.
http://i15.tinypic.com/40ky83r.jpg
^^Network map.
http://i17.tinypic.com/42taqfd.jpg
^^Entrance to SADAT station.
http://i18.tinypic.com/2ld8sg4.jpg
^^SADAT station hall.
http://i17.tinypic.com/4c8ilqo.jpg
^^SADAT station.
http://i15.tinypic.com/4gguffa.jpg
^^Platform direction GiZA.
http://i18.tinypic.com/2gw9vvb.jpg
^^OPERA (Gezira) station.
http://i19.tinypic.com/2w65p1t.jpg
^^Interior of a train.
http://i19.tinypic.com/3z1tgqx.jpg
^^EL BEHOOS station.
http://i19.tinypic.com/29wsc28.jpg
^^CAiRO UNiVERSiTY station.
http://i19.tinypic.com/2qanx5c.jpg
^^GiZA station.
http://i18.tinypic.com/2ij3la0.jpg
^^SAKiET MEKKY station.
http://i15.tinypic.com/454xy0x.jpg
^^Cabin of a train of line 2.
http://i15.tinypic.com/44qxlzo.jpg
^^SAKiET MEKKY station, covered area and train.
http://i16.tinypic.com/4d6nyf9.jpg
^^Train in line 2.
http://i19.tinypic.com/4graxqx.jpg
^^GiZA station.
http://i16.tinypic.com/2laqadj.jpg
^^GiZA station exit.
http://i16.tinypic.com/2ebqrfm.jpg
^^GiZA station tiles.
http://i18.tinypic.com/44akcoy.jpg
^^Outside GiZA station.
:wink2:

Surprisingly clean metro. Fortunately the signs are also in English!

Thanks for all the pictures Bitxofo!!!!

Have you got any photo from Line 1?

:banana:

Wow, you took pics of the system? When I was there in 99, I asked one of the soldiers on the platform, and he declined my request to take a picture.

^^No problem to take pictures, except photos of policemen or soldiers inside the metro!
;)
@Chavito:
I used line 1 in the year 2000, and I took some analogic photos, I have got them in paper but I don't know where...
:dunno:

^^

No problem Bitxofo. I hope you'll find them someday

It looks more modern than Toronto's system.

^^Depending on the lines...
;)

Great photos!

Did you by any chance (or has anyone else) got a clear photo of the Cairo Metro Map? It's very difficult to get hold of fromthe operator. Simple, clear hi res photo would do the trick nicely!

:-)
Mark

From Wikipedia;

Plans
Four more lines are proposed — all with the goal of reducing Cairo's chronic road congestion — with Line 3 (green) from Imbaba / Mohandessin to Abbasiya, and eventually to Cairo International Airport at Heliopolis. Line 4 is expected to go from the southwest at Al Ahram to the east at Nasr City; Line 5 is planned as a half-circular line connecting all the other lines, from Nasr City to Port Said Street and Shubra El Kheima; and Line 6 is to be a north-south line from Shubra to Maadi.

A recent transportation study of the Greater Cairo region was completed in 1999 and recommended the implementation of four new metro lines, Lines 3, 4, 5 and 6, in addition to the two existing lines presently under operation. The completed Metro Network will be capable of serving most of the densely populated areas in the Greater Cairo region, which is in much need of a mass transit system. The Metro Network includes many interchange stations between the six metro lines and also provides interchange facilities with existing main railway stations and bus terminal stations.

Line No. 3 in this plan has become an important project; this line extends from the north west of the Greater Cairo at Imbaba to the north-east at Heliopolis and will also serve the Cairo International Airport. The line crosses under the two branches of the River Nile, same as Line 2. The total length of the line is approximately 30 km most of which is in bored tunnel 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 implementation of Line No. 3 will start with Attaba to Abbasia section, the first phase, followed by the second phase from Abbasia to Heliopolis, which are the most urgent sections for the transportation needs. The basic design of phase 1, 6 km in length, has just started and will be completed by the end of year 2001 to be ready for launching as an international tender for its construction. The design of phase 1 is taking into consideration the safe crossing of two major underground structures; namely, the line 2 bored tunnel at Attaba and the wastewater spine tunnel north of Attaba. It is also planned that some of the underground stations will be extensively used as commercial centres. These stations will be constructed by the cut-and-cover method and the rolling stock will be fed by power through a third rail.

Line No. 4 crosses the region from the south-west at Al Ahram to the east at Nasr City, a length of 24 km most of which is also in bored tunnel and crosses under the two branches of the River Nile.

Line No. 5 is a half-circular line connecting lines 1, 2, 3 and 4 and has a length of 20 km. The entire route is in bored tunnel.

Line No. 6 is a longitudinal line stretching from the north of the city to the south, a length of 19 km, most of which is in bored tunnel. The six metro lines are planned to meet the transportation demands of the Greater Cairo area up to the year 2022. However, the actual construction and implementation schedule will be restricted by the available funding resources.

Africa's only subway system a smooth ride
Jun 02, 2007 04:30 AM
Oakland Ross
Toronto Star
MIDDLE EAST BUREAU

CAIRO–"There are just two things that work in Egypt," a young denizen of this teeming North African capital was observing the other day, "the telephone information system – and the Cairo Metro."

I don't know about Egypt's telephone information system, but praise Allah for the Cairo Metro. Not only is it the only subway system in all of Africa, but it works very well.

Give credit where it's due. For all his shortcomings in certain other areas – human rights, for example, or democratic institutions – President Hosni Mubarak deserves congratulations for his foresight on the transit front. It was under his watch that the Cairo Metro got started, something that few commuters here are likely to forget, considering that a huge likeness of the Egyptian leader appears in practically all of the stations arrayed along the Metro's two working lines. A third line is supposed to open someday, although no one seems quite certain when.

There is, inevitably, a station named after the incumbent president, a circumstance that highlights one of several conspicuous differences between the Cairo Metro and the Toronto subway system. Another station is called Sadat, for late president and Nobel laureate Anwar Sadat, and yet another is named after Gamal Abdel Nasser, that giant of pan-Arab nationalism, who ruled the country from 1954 to 1970.

Operated by the aptly dubbed National Authority for Tunnels, the Cairo Metro runs from five o'clock each morning until 1 a.m. and carries an estimated 2.7 million passengers a day – a very good thing. Otherwise, those same travellers would be riding in cars, of which in Cairo there are altogether too many.

"It's very convenient, it's clean and it's fast," says one commuter named Mohamed Hamdi, who works at a military factory as a technician but won't provide more information. "It's sensitive," he adds, meaning his job, not the Metro.

But the Metro seems to be somewhat sensitive, too, not surprising in a city where terrorist incidents have been known to occur now and then. "No photography – no," declares a police officer clad in a white uniform with a black beret.

He waves his arms at a camera-toting visitor – actually, me – who is snapping away on an underground platform in violation of a system-wide ban on the use of cameras.

Construction on Line 1 of the Metro began in 1983, and the network has gradually expanded since then. A 1.3 kilometre extension of Line 2 was inaugurated in 2000, bringing the total length of track to 63 kilometres (compared with 68.3 kilometres – the combined length of Toronto's three subway lines). Although run by a tunnel authority, much of the Metro is above ground. In fact, only 17 of its 52 stations are located underground.

The stations themselves are generally spacious and clean. The escalators typically are in working order. The tickets are moderately priced, for most people – just 1 Egyptian pound (about 20 cents). And each train has a car or two reserved for women and children.

On the other hand, Shamaa Saad, a young female architecture student, reports that she often rides in the unreserved cars, usually with a girlfriend, and doesn't encounter problems. In fact, an almost chivalric code seems to prevail on the trains. Based on my admittedly limited experience of the system, men here are far more likely than are their Toronto counterparts to surrender their seats to women.

Without the Metro, it is difficult to imagine how this city could survive. A great many more people would have to do what overwhelming throngs of Cairo residents are already obliged to do, day in, day out.

They would have to swelter for hours on end in the Gordian knot of this city's incessant traffic jams, leaning on their horns, shaking their fists at other similarly frustrated motorists, while a near infinity of internal-combustion engines pumped unthinkable quantities of carbon dioxide and other pollutants into the dry desert air.

"I personally think it's the worst traffic I've ever seen," says a European diplomat in Cairo, who has possibly never been to Lagos. But Lagos lacks an underground Metro system, while Cairo – alone on this continent – has one. Praise Allah.

:) Thanks for all the pictures Bitxofo!!!!

Have you got any map in ARABIC of the cairo metro ?

NB I'm living in france and I can give any french subway plan.
sincerely yours

Is there also a tramway system in Cairo?

^^Yes. The tram system was constructed near the beginning of the 20th Century.

i hear that Metro Line 1 is the french line and the regional one

and Metro Line 2 is the Japanese line and fully metro??

good thing their expanding the system Cairo needs it alot

Cool pics. I didn't even know that Cairo had a metro.

They need one in Lagos. How do all those people get around without a metro?!? They opened BRT recently, though.

doesnt look very modern but I guess still does the job......

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Egypt.Cairo.Metro.01.jpg
http://www.subways.net/egypt/nab2.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Cairo_Metro_Line_2_Maadi_Jan-2006.jpg
http://www.helwannews.com/portal/images/stories/July2009/01-07-2009/8underground_main.jpg
http://lazeeez.com/articles/src1223376271.jpg
http://www.almosafr.com/forum/uploaded/9288_01206464868.jpg
http://www.shorouknews.com/uploadedImages/metro-cairo.jpg
:banana::banana:line3 is under construction:banana::banana:

i hear that Metro Line 1 is the french line and the regional one

and Metro Line 2 is the Japanese line and fully metro??
For what it's worth, the Line 2 trains appear to be based on the MF 77 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MF_77) from Paris.

The ticket gates look exactly the same like the ones used in Israel at railwaystations. I wonder if they are constructed by the same company.

Great pictures from Line 1 :banana:

Cairo Metro

Locale: Cairo
Transit type: Rapid transit
Number of lines: 2 (3,4,5,6 Confirmed and U/C)
Number of stations: 53
Began operation: 1987

The Cairo Metro in Egypt is the only full-fledged metro system in Africa, and the Arab World. The system consists of two operational lines, with construction having begun on a third line in 2006.

The two lines carry around 700 million passengers a year and on average 2 million per day.
Cairo Metro Line 1 is the first line of the Cairo Metro in Cairo, Egypt. First stage of it was opened to the public in 1987 and it was fully completed in 1989 connecting Helwan with El Marg and consisting of 33 stations with a total length of 43 km, of which 4.5 km are underground.

Cairo Metro Line 2 is the second line of the Cairo Metro in Cairo, Egypt. Cairo's metro network was greatly expanded in the mid-1990s with the building of Line 2 (yellow), from Shoubra El Kheima to Cairo University, with an extension to Giza. It is the first line in history to have a tunnel going under the Nile.[11][18] The tunnel under the Nile is 8.35 m in internal diameter and was constructed using two Herenknecht bentonite slurry shield TBMs, which are 9.43 m in diameter.[11] Extending 21.5 kilometres (13 mi) with 20 stations, it is sometimes called the "Japanese-Built Line".

Lines 3-6 have been confirmed, and are under construction.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/CAIRO_METRO.jpg

http://www.love-egypt.com/images/cairo-metro.jpg

http://www.themajlis.org/2009/11/12/sadat-metro.jpg

http://nmazca.com/cairo/cairo_metro_station.jpg

http://nsa07.casimages.com/img/2009/05/30/090530105807220728.jpg

http://nsa07.casimages.com/img/2009/05/30/090530105145993833.jpg

http://img102.herosh.com/2009/05/15/222196318.jpg

http://www.aawsat.com/2008/12/08/images/daily1.497985.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/94/281717161_811ecbb82f.jpg?v=0

http://c0170361.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/22530_2842_7aea38fab1_p.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/95/244104351_b85edc1323.jpg?v=0

http://www.urbanrail.net/af/cairo/L2-Giza%20Railway2.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4031/4336210424_d855b70336.jpg

http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v645/167/114/70737211001/n70737211001_2593214_4351100.jpg

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-sf2p/v645/167/114/70737211001/n70737211001_2593220_648851.jpg

http://www.egyptcairo.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Metro-1-l.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/eb/Sadat_metro_station_entrance_at_Midan_Tahrir_in_Cairo.jpg/350px-Sadat_metro_station_entrance_at_Midan_Tahrir_in_Cairo.jpg

http://whatiscivilengineering.csce.ca/NCE/transportation/CairoMetro.jpg

http://i18.tinypic.com/2ld8sg4.jpg

http://www.refaatcontracting.com/m1.jpg

Cairo’s Metro Line 3 Under Construction

The second phase of construction for Cairo’s Metro Line 3 officially got under way recently. The new line will help to increase the capacity of the Cairo Metro to some 4.5 million commuters when completed. The line will eventually extend from Imbaba to Heliopolis and will serve Cairo Airport. Currently the Cairo metro system serves 2.5 million daily commuters and is Africa’s only full-fledged metro system.

Phase one construction of the third line covered from Attaba to Abbassiya with three new stations at Al-Gaish, Abdo Basha and Al-Abbassiya. The second phase will include four new stations at Cairo Fairgrounds, the Stadium, Koliyat Al-Banat and Al-Ahram Street and should be completed in October of 2012. The new stations will have state-of-the-art security and technology with a contactless fare collection system and commercial outlets.

Much of the work is being completed in partnership with French transportation companies. Francoise Meley, the head of the French Embassy’s economic department in Cairo was at the inauguration of phase two work. “We are very proud to be the partner of Egypt in the development of the Cairo metro network, which is directly benefitting Cairo’s citizens, by making their everyday lives easier and also by reducing air pollution,” she said.

The master plan for Cairo’s metro system has a total of six lines serving the city’s densest areas. The six lines are planned to be complete by 2022.

Thanks for the pics! I would greatly love to visit Cairo someday and it is nice to see the metro system!

Steve

Has the light rail/tramway to Hekiopolis closed or is it stioll running? Will Line 3 replace the tramway? Last I read it was it very poor shape with no funding available for repairs.

How long Cairo Metro will be after completion of all 6 lines.

Has the light rail/tramway to Hekiopolis closed or is it stioll running? Will Line 3 replace the tramway? Last I read it was it very poor shape with no funding available for repairs.

Yes its still running. Its seen its best days, and is pretty old, but its still running. I think I heard a rumour that they will either be upgraded or completely removed, not so sure though.

How long Cairo Metro will be after completion of all 6 lines.

Line 1 = 43 Km
Line 2 = 21.7 Km
Line 3 = 33 Km
Line 4 = 17 Km
Line 5 = 20 Km
Line 6 = 19 Km
Total = 143.7 Km

:)

Thanks :). Cairo metro looks very busy when compared to its size. For a comparison, London Underground sees a little over 3 million people for 400 km of length.

^^
I think it is busy because the city got 10+ mio inhabitants and is very dense

Cairo Metro looks great

All of Cairo is very busy compared to its size :D

^^
Indeed, Cairo never sleeps!!


The Cairo Metro is fast, clean, efficient, modern, and extremely cheap, only L.E. 1 a ticket, thats USD$0.18!! It is by far the fastest way to get around the city.

I cant wait for Line 3 to be up and running, becuase it connects the Airport to the rest of the network.

Great! We need more pics please!

Is there a suburban rail network in Cairo too or is the metro the only rail system in the city?

Great! We need more pics please!

Is there a suburban rail network in Cairo too or is the metro the only rail system in the city?

Well there is a really old tramway in the Heliopolis district of Cairo. There are plans to construct a monorail network in the New Cairo distirct. Apart from that, the only other suburban rail will be a Monorail connecting all 3 Terminals of Cairo International Airport.

Oh, and I'll try and find more pics :)

do you have a map that includes all 6 lines?
gr8 pics.... :)

I tried looking for a map with all 6 lines, but the only one I can find is the one that shows three lines only, its in this thread.

Anyways, more pics:

http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/717.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/216/466611125_364b3f79a0.jpg

http://i15.tinypic.com/4gguffa.jpg

http://i18.tinypic.com/2gw9vvb.jpg

http://i19.tinypic.com/2w65p1t.jpg

http://i19.tinypic.com/29wsc28.jpg

http://i16.tinypic.com/4d6nyf9.jpg

http://i19.tinypic.com/4graxqx.jpg

http://nsa08.casimages.com/img/2009/05/30/090530105558445944.jpg

Found an interesting article, and Project Profile for Phase 1 and Phase 2 of Cairo Metro Line 3.

Some of the info might have been mentioned before, but here is a recap, and some good extra info on the project:

Key Data:

Project: Construction of phase I and phase II of Line 3 of the Cairo Metro

Contractors: Consortium led by Vinci Construction Grand Projects

Contract Value of Civil Engineering Package: Phase I €226m, Phase II €323m

Number of Stations :Phase I five, Phase II five

Route Length :Phase I 4.3km, Phase II 7km

Completion Date :Phase I 2011, Phase II 2013

Tunnel Diameter :9.4m

Capacity: 1.8 million passengers per day

Cairo, the biggest city of Arab Africa has a population of approximately 17 million and is one of the most densely populated cities in Africa. The city is extensively connected by trains with other major cities. Operated by Egyptian National Railways (ENR), the railway system transports nearly 500 million passengers and 12 million tons of freight each year.

The project

Cairo Metro is the first metro network in Africa and is being extended with a third line being added to its existing route. Operational since the late 1990s, the network consists of two lines at present. The first, Line 1, was completed in 1987 and is 42.5km long with 33 stations. It covers the Egyptian capital from north to south.

Line 2, which was constructed in two phases (1997 and 2004 respectively) extends to 21km and serves 20 stations. It runs from north to south-west, covering the district of Shubra and the pyramids of Gizeh.

Construction of the new Line 3 began in 2007 to accommodate the ever-growing population of Cairo. The construction, to be carried out in four phases, is scheduled to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2013. On completion, the capacity of the line is estimated to be 1.8 million passengers per day. Line 3 will be 33km long with 29 stations, of which 27 will be underground.

The basic route of Line 3 will connect Cairo Airport in the east to Embaba and Mohandisseen in the west, crossing the downturn area and Heliopolis. The Mohandisseen area will be connected to the main line going to Embaba.

"Cairo's railway system transports nearly 500 million passengers and 12 million tons of freight each year."Line 3 will consist of only about 2.5km of track and two stations on grade before the terminal station of the Cairo Airport. A major part of the line will be underground. The cut and cover method is being adopted in the construction of the stations.

Infrastructure

The construction of phase I began in July 2007. Covering the central section, phase I will include the construction of a 4.3km tunnel, five underground stations and the creation of a repository for rolling stock. The five stations – Attaba, Bab el Shaaria, El Geish, Abdou Pasha and Abbasia – will be 150m long and will be located at a depth of 14m to 58m each. The tunnel will have a diameter of 9.4m.

Phase I is scheduled for completion in 2011, after 48 months of work, which will be followed by a three-month testing and implementation period.

The contract was awarded to a consortium led by Vinci Construction Grand Projects, a French construction company. Vinci Construction, which holds a 28.5% stake in the consortium, was given the civil engineering package of the contract in January 2007. Other parties in the consortium include Arab Contractors (27.5% stake), Bouygues (26%) and local company Orascom Construction Industries that has been awarded 18% of the contract.

About 60% of phase I was completed by 2009. About 8.3m of the tunnel's diameter has been completed. A tunnel boring machine (TBM) is being used to carry out the construction work. This TBM, named Cleopatra, is speedier than other machines and reduces pollution caused from sound and debris. The tunnel requires 2,800 rings, for which 22,400 voussoirs will be used. Each voussoir is 1.5m long and weighs 5.7t.

Phase II of Line 3 was announced in June 2009. It will extend the underground line eastwards from Abbasiya to Al Ahram (Heliopolis). It will comprise 7km of railway track, including 4km of underground tunnel. The line will connect five stations. Phase II is expected to be completed by October 2013, after 51 months of work.

"Construction of Line 3 began in 2007 to accommodate the ever-growing population of Cairo."Phase II comprises different packages for civil, electromechanical and railway works. The contract for civil engineering works has been awarded to Vinci for €323m. Orascom Construction has been awarded contracts worth $140m for civil, electromechanical and railway works.

Apart from that Orascom will also be responsible for construction work related to the railway tracks in a joint venture with Eurovia Travaux Ferroviaires (ETF) for a contract valued at approximately $24m. This package includes supplying and laying 14km of track and power rail in the tunnel.

Phase III will cover the western section of the underground line. The total length of the line will be 7.5km and estimated duration is three years. Phase IV will cover the eastern section of the line between Al Akram and Cairo International Airport. It will be 11km long and is expected to be completed in four years.

Rolling stock

The rolling stock for the line will be supplied by Mitsubishi. A third rail will be used to feed the rolling stock by power. Mitsubishi is supplying 460 rail road cars that transport two million passengers every day.

Signalling and communications

The signalling and telecommunications system will be provided by a consortium led by Alstom Equipment. The total value of the signalling and telecommunications contract is €29.8m.

Other parties in the consortium include the Thales Group and Orascom. For the stations, Alstom will provide URBALIS 200 integrated signalling and train-control information system. It will include a control system, switches and signalling equipment.

The Automatic Train Control and interlockings will be provided by Alstom Units in France, while the locally manufactured products, including the Automatic Train Supervision, will be provided by CASCO. CASCO will also overlook some of the integration work. ALSTOM Transport Service Shanghai will supply local services for the project

Future

By 2020, Cairo Metro is expected to carry five million passengers a day. By this time it is expected to add three more lines. Line 4 will be 24km long covering the southeast at Al Ahram to the east in Nasr city. Line 5 will be 20km connecting Nasr city to Port Said Street. It will be a half-circular line connecting to the other lines. Line 6 will extend from north south Shubra to Maadi, and will be 19km long.

http://www.railway-technology.com/projects/cairo-metro/

So Phase 1 and 2 of Line 3 should be completed by 2011 & 2013 respectively.

Also, saw this in the news today:

http://www.meed.com/sectors/transport/rail/cairo-to-invite-bids-for-third-phase-of-metro-works-in-october/3005056.article

^^
The bids for Phase 3 of the line will be invited in October.

Courtesy of NihonKitty:



Mitsubishi, Kinki Sharyō, Toshiba receive rolling stock order for Cairo Metro
http://www.mitsubishicorp.com/jp/en/pr/archive/2010/html/0000010933.html


Mitsubishi Corporation, together with The Kinki Sharyo Co., Ltd. and Toshiba Corporation, has contracted with The National Authority for Tunnels, Ministry of Transport (NAT) to supply 88 cars (11 train sets) for the Cairo Metro. These cars will be delivered from 2012 to 2013 under two separate contracts.

On August 17th, a contract signing ceremony was held in Cairo, attended by His Excellency Dr. Ahmet Mahmoud Mohamed Nazif, the Prime Minister of the Arab Republic of Egypt, His Excellency Eng. Alaa Fahmy, Minister of Transport, Her Excellency Dr. Fayza Aboulnaga, Minister of International Cooperation and distinguished guests.

The contracts cover seven train sets (56 cars) for Cairo Metro Line 3 Phase 2 which is under construction by NAT, and an additional four train sets (32 cars) for Line 2 which is currently operational. The order for the additional 11 train sets (88 cars) follows an order for seven sets (56 cars) for Line 3 Phase 1 in November 2007.

The contractual scheme has Mitsubishi Corporation acting as main contractor, with Kinki Sharyo in charge of manufacturing car body and bogies, and Toshiba supplying electrical equipment. The assembly work for Line 3 Phase 2 will be carried out by an Egyptian rolling stock manufacturer.

Cairo has an urgent need to enhance public transportation. Migration to urban areas has brought chronic traffic congestion. Cairo Metro Lines 1 and 2 are currently among the world’s busiest public transportation systems, conveying some 2.5 million citizens per day to their destinations. Additional rolling stock has been ordered for Line 2 in order to meet rapidly growing transportation needs. Once completed, Line 3 will connect the western part of Cairo city to Cairo International Airport.

Mitsubishi Corporation, Kinki Sharyo and Toshiba have a strong presence in the rolling stock market in Egypt. Combined, they have delivered more than 1,400 railway cars over the past 40 years. The team’s strong reputation for reliability and state-of-the-art technologies helped it to secure these new contracts. Future plans for the Cairo Metro include the additions of Lines 4, 5 and 6.

Through active participation in infrastructure projects like this one, Mitsubishi Corporation, Kinki Sharyo and Toshiba are committed to helping Egypt realize a low-carbon society and economic growth.

Trains for Line 3
http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/5995/0000010933img1.jpg

Trains for Line 2
http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/5131/0000010933img2.jpg

Cairo Metro map
http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/8563/0000010933img3.jpg

Very nice metro system! And the line 3 will transport 1,8 million passengers a day!:eek2: That's more than the whole Barcelona metro!

It's interesting to notice that Line 1, more than 40 km long, is mainly at surface. Its only underground stretch is in downtown. I suppose these two lines were originally suburban lines converted to metro standard, giving it a "RER" feeling, or a London subsurface line. Its user density is very high due to its alignment following the Nile valley (let's not forget Cairo is a 'valley' city, surrounded by desert) and its sheer urban density. The chaotic traffic also helps to divert passengers to the rail system.

Anyway, I really enjoy these systems that happen to have a huge user density (usually with individual lines transporting more than a million people/day) and are very modern and efficient, such as Cairo, Santiago, São Paulo, Tehran, Caracas, Singapore, Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo, etc. The metro systems in eastern Europe (such as Prague, Kiev, Moscow, St Petersburg) are highly used as also, but are older as well.

Great updates, nice to see new rolling stock!

Cairo is the latest African city which has closed its tram service, but why? When Tunis has proudly returned its tram, why Cairo has walking backward?

I like this, the trains and stations are nice and modern. Very good for Cairo

Cairo is the latest African city which has closed its tram service, but why? When Tunis has proudly returned its tram, why Cairo has walking backward?

Well I've seen some pics and the trams look very old and outdated and maybe the government doesn't have any money for new ones and would much rather spend it on the metro?

Very nice system and amazed at how many people ride it everyday!

Cairo need more than that!!! let eleminate fast food deliver service to your car.... Thank You.

^^Yes. The tram system was constructed near the beginning of the 20th Century.

The Cairo city tram system has closed in 2004. Two suburbs has trams. Heliopolis has larger tram network, whose one line connects Cairo. Helwan has a short tram system.

Alstom delivers first renovated trainset for line 1 of the Cairo metro

05/01/2011


http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/7238/alstomtransportnasratti.jpg (http://img195.imageshack.us/i/alstomtransportnasratti.jpg/)

On 1st January 2011, during a ceremony hosted by Egyptian Transport Minister Alaa Fahmy, Alstom delivered the first renovated trainset for line 1 of the Cairo metro.

This delivery was part of a renovation contract signed by Alstom and Cairo Metro Organization in 2007. The contract, worth €19 million, involves upgrading the braking, traction and electrical systems on 52 metro trainsets, as well as repainting the interior and exterior surfaces. The renovation work, which began in 2008 in the Cairo Metro Organization’s workshops in Tura, should continue until 2014.

With 9 cars each (3 trailers and 6 power cars), the line 1 metro trainsets were supplied by Alstom in 1982. Line 1, Cairo’s oldest metro line, was put into service in 1981 and now has 35 stations. The renovation will eventually enable the trains to increase their frequency due to their improved availability and to carry up to 60,000 passengers per hour in each direction.



http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/7238/alstomtransportnasratti.jpg (http://img340.imageshack.us/i/alstomtransportnasratti.jpg/)

About Alstom in Egypt
Alstom has been operating in Egypt for over 30 years and employs nearly 300 people. A long-time partner of the Cairo Metro as a member of the Interinfra consortium, Alstom supplied line 1’s signaling, control and telecommunications system and rolling stock in the 1980s. Alstom is also involved in two French consortia for developing the signaling, control and telecommunications systems - as well as the electromechanical components - for lines 2 and 3. Alstom also delivered 30 shunting locomotives to Egyptian National Railways (ENR) in 2006.


About Alstom Transport

A promoter of sustainable mobility, Alstom Transport develops and offers the most comprehensive range of systems, equipment and services in the rail sector. The Group manages complete transport systems, including rolling stock, signalling equipment, maintenance services and infrastructure, and also offers turnkey solutions. In 2009-2010, Alstom Transport recorded sales of €5.8 billion. The Group is present in over 60 countries and employs some 26,000 people.


Press contacts:

Eric Lenoir
Tel.: +33 (0) 1 57 06 18 74
eric.lenoir@transport.alstom.com

Mélina Georgitsis
Tel.: +33 (0) 1 57 06 92 83
melina.a.georgitsis@transport.alstom.com

Website:

www.alstom.com/transport

http://www.alstom.com/Corporate/Templates/Content.aspx?id=8589944023

^^^^

I love these trains' design...

:drool:

nice trains....

Found this link:

http://www.convertingtoday.co.uk/story_attachment.asp?storycode=65389&seq=1&type=P&c=1

^^ where is the link?

new train are nice

So there are no more trams in cairo at all?

And what happened to the Supertram project? Was it cancelled?

^^ nope the tram is open and been upgraded and expanded too!

So the news is that Line 3 phase 1 is complete and going to be opened by the PM sometime this week.

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/404241_274437115943591_160235924030378_730188_918453790_n.jpg

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http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/387899_274437055943597_160235924030378_730186_1390355705_n.jpg

And yes they will start using smart cards :)

Nice! This looks to be the first new stretch of Cairo Metro to open in the last 6 years. Which stations will open - the ones from Attaba to Al Ahram?

Will Line 3 replace the Heliopolis light railway ?

According to an article in Al-Masri Al-Youm (http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/node/586241), only five stations on line 3 are scheduled to open this week - Attaba through Abbasiya.

http://urbanrail.net/af/cairo/cairo-map.gif
source: http://urbanrail.net/af/cairo/cairo.htm

^^ yup.

Here is a map for the phases

http://cairometro.gov.eg/metrofiles/NewsImages/future%20projects/line%203,%20a.jpg

Red Phase one
Blue Phase Two
Green Phase Three and Four

Phase 2 is going to be complete next year Q3 I think. And here is the construction.

http://cairometro.gov.eg/metrofiles/NewsImages/future%20projects/line%203,%20preparation%201.jpg



Will Line 3 replace the Heliopolis light railway ?

No, I mentioned that it's going to be upgraded and expanded :)

Phase one of the third line is officially open,


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^^

Are these new trains?

^^ Yes (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=64343709&postcount=39).

yup the new trains,


http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/300038_284377631587148_198923606799218_1104685_334967852_n.jpg

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i-2ftMi33V4

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Is that false platform a tell-tale sign of future expansion?

^^ nope the tram is open and been upgraded and expanded too!

Which tram was this? And when? Any photos?

^^ Heliopolis Tram?

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1287473

As well as are plans to upgrade the system itself as it costs more to operate than the revenue.

Third Line - Green (Partially Completed)
3ML7gQasbiI

'Art of Transit'
Two guys entertaining the passengers :D
fTb5qbdsujY
frHpOC1g7IY

Is that false platform a tell-tale sign of future expansion?
What's the rationale to consigning that terminus to single-tracking instead of double? http://forums.aria.co.uk/images/smilies/ScratchHead.gif Illogical outcome for such a populated city, don't you think?

What's the rationale to consigning that terminus to single-tracking instead of double? http://forums.aria.co.uk/images/smilies/ScratchHead.gif Illogical outcome for such a populated city, don't you think?
It's not a terminus. The line is only partially complete. And I think the false platform is probably temporary until the rest of the line is complete

Ah! the city there's so busy that segments must be opened before any completion :nuts: So might this mean completion there's constrained to nightime activity or(and?) does it (additionally?) occur during service periods? Either way, how many hours to a nightly(daily?) period of construction? So just how is muddling up direction of travel by passengers waiting at that station there avoided, is it?

Nice trains, who are the manufacturers? Locally made? Or are they foreign made from brand name corporations (Kawasaki, Hyundai ROTEM etc...)

Nice trains, who are the manufacturers? Locally made? Or are they foreign made from brand name corporations (Kawasaki, Hyundai ROTEM etc...)
Manufactured by Kinki Sharyō & Toshiba (joint venture) in Japan.

^^ The first seven srts for Line 3 were made in Japan and the remaining eleven sets will be assembled in Egypt (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=64343709&postcount=39), presumably by SEMAF (http://www.aoi.com.eg/aoiarab/aoi/semaf/Home.htm), which made the previous Cairo Metro rolling stock.

The Line 2 and Line 3 trains are based on Paris Métro MF 77 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MF_77) stock. I would assume that soft loans from Japan are the reason why the trains are based on a French design but built in Japan.

Manufactured by Kinki Sharyō & Toshiba (joint venture) in Japan.

Really? I thought its Mitsubishi.

^^ It's a consortium of Mitsubishi Corporation (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_Corporation) (not Mitsubishi Electric (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_Electric)), Toshiba and Kinki Sharyo. From the press release (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=64343709&postcount=39):
The contractual scheme has Mitsubishi Corporation acting as main contractor, with Kinki Sharyo in charge of manufacturing car body and bogies, and Toshiba supplying electrical equipment. The assembly work for Line 3 Phase 2 will be carried out by an Egyptian rolling stock manufacturer.

Mitsubishi Corporation is a sōgō shōsha (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sogo_shosha):
Sogo shosha (総合商社, sōgō shōsha) means general trading companies, a business entity unique to Japan trading a wide range of products and materials. In addition to trading, they have historically acted as investment banks and private equities...

Sōgō shōsha deal in general commerce. On one end, they supply large volumes of raw materials goods from large manufacturers or wholesalers to smaller distributors and retailers. On the other end, they act as an international sales force for medium- and small-sized companies without the ability to market and maintain distribution channels overseas. They also often act as the linchpin of large consortium contracts ranging from the building of shopping malls to railway and other property projects, coordinating the activities of banks, construction, and logistics companies.

my pictures on 28 March 2012

Abdou Pasha station

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Mostly men in these photos. Do women stay in a seperate car?

Mostly men in these photos.

First thing I noticed as well.

Had women been thought of, then the straprings wouldn't be suspended so high.

Usually there is a Women only car. and the other cars are mixed so women do go into these cars too. It's to avoid harassment :)

According to Wikipedia:

On all Cairo metro trains, the middle two cars (4th and 5th) of each train are reserved for women (the 5th car becomes a mixed use after 21:00). These cars are used as an option for women who do not wish to ride with men in the same car; however, women can still ride other cars freely.

Says that the 4th and 5th car of each train in the Cairo Metro are exclusive to women as an option for women who do not wish to ride with males in the same car.

well yea, one and half cars since the 5th become mixed :|

New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/04/world/middleeast/cairos-subway-is-efficient-orderly-and-dependable.html


CAIRO JOURNAL
Underground, Everything That Life Above Is Not

May 3, 2012
By KAREEM FAHIM

CAIRO — By the dusty factories at the end of the subway line, two day laborers emerged from the cars, dreading their return to life above ground.

The subway had taken them in no time across the city, underneath the broken metropolis and its maddening obstacles, from one sleek station to another. The rest of the journey home, in a microbus or a car, would not be so pleasant. “Transportation,” said one of the men, “has become more exhausting than work.”

In this often capricious city, the Metro is something of a miracle. Efficient and orderly, it is frequently referred to as the one thing that always works.

That is not new, but it has become even more appreciated in the year after the toppling of President Hosni Mubarak, a period that heaped confusion on caprice, as the police vanished, people marched and Egyptians struggled to find their bearings.

A saying made the rounds, reflecting public impatience with the disorder and crediting the uprising with two irritating changes: the sudden addition of a digit to the nation’s cellphones and the change of satellite television frequencies.

But the trains were still dependable. In the subway, little changed except the name of a downtown station, which was renamed “Martyrs” from “Mubarak.”

“If there was a crisis in the Metro,” said Mohammed Ahmed, a 20-year-old commuter, “the people would have another revolution.”

Above ground, the crises multiply. On Wednesday, at least 11 people were killed during clashes, and presidential candidates stopped their campaigns in solidarity with grieving families. Egypt’s Parliament suspended its sessions this week to protest the government’s various failures, and Saudi Arabia withdrew its ambassador, closing its embassy after protests outside.

In recent weeks, there have been bus strikes and gas shortages. Every day, without fail, an old Fiat breaks down, bringing traffic in some stretch of Cairo to a halt. During one recent bus strike, the subway trains were full of people trying to escape the chaos above, slipping into an orderly parallel world available for just one Egyptian pound (about 16 cents).

Outside the stations, vendors packed the plazas, selling strawberries, SIM cards and socks. Many stations were plastered with posters of a presidential candidate, Hazem Salah Abu Ismail, whose bearded, smiling face was famously ubiquitous before his recent disqualification from the race because his mother is a United States citizen. Several platforms provided refuge for couples, the kind of privacy a city of 18 million people can lack.

Some of the trains were old, dating back to the opening of the subway, in 1987, with wooden window shades on the outside that recalled Cairo’s old Beaux-Arts buildings. Some people said that when the trains were empty, they felt nostalgic for the old trams.

During rush hour, there is no nostalgia, just the crush dreaded by commuters around the world.

Three million people ride the subways each day, according to Ahmed Abdel Hady, the subway authority’s media coordinator. Construction on Cairo’s third line, now under way, will bring trains from the working-class neighborhood of Imbaba all the way to the airport, providing an alterative to the clogged surface roads and bridges.

“If the subway stopped, all of Egypt would stop,” Mr. Hady said, bragging about a service that actually covers only a small patch of the country. “It’s the fastest, cheapest and safest means of transportation in the country.”

Mr. Hady said the line was largely unaffected by the frequent labor strikes following the revolution. But labor activists said even the vaunted subway was not immune: workers have been holding regular sit-ins for the last week, complaining that the new head of the Metro has failed to honor previous pledges for wage increases and bonuses.

For now, the workers, who do not include the train drivers, have not tried to halt the service, with many saying they are worried about the impact on the country.

“Not now,” said Hossam el-Nabawy, the vice president of the Metro workers syndicate, who said drivers had staged work slowdowns in the past. He warned: “If the treatment is bad, the whole system will collapse.”

For now, the trains run, filled with small talk and grand debates. On one crowded train, a man supporting Egypt’s military rulers disagreed, quite civilly, with a man supporting its Islamist parties.

“The army is the main partner in the governance of Egypt,” the first man said.

“But we made a deal with them to rule the country temporarily,” the Islamist supporter said. “Who has the majority now? Tell me.”

The army man arrived at his station, and his fellow commuter sent him off warmly. “Take care,” he said. “I hope the transportation works.”

Some of the conversations are less civil. On Sunday, as Alaa Ahmed, 21, went to board the train, an older woman approached her and asked her about the style of her head scarf — why was she wearing it in the Spanish style, with the ends of the scarf draped around her neck? The woman disapproved.

“I said, ‘How does this concern you?’ ” Ms. Ahmed recalled a short while after the conversation. “This is something between me and God.”

Then the woman insulted her, according to Ms. Ahmed, starting by saying: “God will plague you.” Ms. Ahmed, sitting on the platform with a friend, said she preferred traveling to work in her car.

On the platform at Mezallat station, Hussein Mohammed, 26, said he had an urgent appointment but a few minutes to talk about his hopes after the revolution and the trying months of transition since. Nearby, the trains arrived quietly, every few minutes, more often than the cranky subway lines in New York or London.

Then he excused himself, saying he really should be off: his wife was in labor.

“It’s O.K.,” he said as another train approached, four minutes after the last. “I’ll make it.”

Mayy El Sheikh contributed reporting.

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2012/05/04/world/cairo1/cairo1-articleLarge.jpg
Max Becherer for The New York Times
A Metro train arrives at the Sadat station in Cairo.

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2012/05/04/world/cairo2/cairo2-popup.jpg
Max Becherer for The New York Times
Commuters navigate the Shubra El Kheima station. A Metro ride costs about 16 cents.


There is also a slideshow here, including many photos of the Heliopolis tram:
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2012/05/04/world/middleeast/20120404CAIRO.html?ref=middleeast