Six metro lines to cover Cairo by 2020, says authority

The head of Cairo's metro authority, Ismail al-Nagdy, said in a television interview on Tuesday that the government is working on a plan for six metro lines to cover all of Cairo by 2020, increasing daily commuters from the current four million to 16 million.

This will leave only nine million commuters using transportation above ground and will drastically improve the traffic crisis in Cairo, the official added.

In the interview, aired on CBC, Nagdy said the government is accelerating the original plan, designed in the 80s, which aimed to complete construction of the six lines by 2035. He added that the rate of population increase and traffic density necessitates the need for the new lines to be finished earlier.

Nagdy answered one of the most pressing questions the public has about the metro, concerning Sadat station in Tahrir Square, which has been closed for over a year, causing increased traffic at other stations.

The official said the continued closure is a security decision and that the authority is coordinating with the Interior Ministry to reopen Sadat station before schools start later this month.

Currently, Cairo has two fully functioning metro lines. The government is working simultaneously on three phases in the extension programme for the first time, according to Nagdy.

The third phase of the third line, which is designed to go from Maspero through Zamalek and Imbaba all the way to the airport, is currently under construction.

The first two phases of the fourth line are also ongoing projects. Nagdy says that work on the first phase, planned to go from October 6 city to Old Cairo, should start in March and take three years to complete.

The second phase should go from Old to New Cairo, stretching out into the suburbs.

According to Nagdy, the government is fully financing the fourth phase of the third line, as well as half the expense of the third phase of the same line, while the European Union is providing Egypt with a loan for the other half.

As for the first phase of the fourth line, it is being covered partially by the government and match funded by a loan from Japan.

Nagdy also addressed the controversial proposal of increasing the ticket price to two pounds, which caused heavy opposition and was eventually overruled by Sisi.

He said that every trip costs LE8.5 in terms of operations. The state currently covers LE7.5, enabling passengers to pay only LE1. These expenses include wages, maintenance and electricity.

Nagdy said the metro company, which started out breaking even in the 80s, is now enduring increasing losses, reaching LE180 million this year.

He added that the authority aims to cover its losses by introducing advertising contracts and utilizing space in the metro for commercial use.