Transport minister witnesses successful trial run between Haroun and Heliopolis metro stations

CAIRO – 20 October 2018: Transport Minister Hesham Arafat witnessed before dawn on Saturday a successful trial run between Haroun and Heliopolis stations of stage I of the fourth phase of Cairo Metro Line 3.

During the trial operation, the starting point was El Ahram station in Cairo's Heliopolis district.

Arafat said that the tests cover the operation systems, the tracks, the electric power supply system, the signals and pathways in these stations. The experimental operation will begin between Heliopolis and El Shams Club stations on October 27 and between El Shams Club and Alf Maskan stations on Novemer 7, he also said, noting that it will continue for two months. The starting speed of trains will be 15 km/h and then it will be increased until reaching 80 km/h, he elaborated.

He pointed out that phase I of the fourth stage of Cairo Metro Line 3 extends over an area of 5.15 km and includes 4 tunnel stations and one elevated station which is El Nozha station. Three of the tunnel stations (Haroun, Alf Maskan and El Shams Club) have already been completed, he said.

Work on this phase of the project began on July 2, 2015 and the cost of its implementation (without counting that of trains) is 257 million euros plus EGP 1,842 million, the minister said.

He added that the ministry is currently working on the implementation of the second part of the fourth phase of the third line while also building the third phase of the same line, which is scheduled to be fully completed in 2022 to serve three million commuters daily.

The Cairo metro, which operates throughout the capital city and surrounding areas and runs both above and below ground at a top speed of 80 km/h, is one of the city’s fastest means of transportation.