The Minister of Transport inspects the first part of Cairo Metro Line 3 – Phase 3 from Attaba to El Kit Kat for pilot operation without passengers by the mid of the current month as preparation for official operation with passengers by the mid of July 2022.
Eng. Kamel El Wazir - Minister of Transport and Patrick Kadri, Chairman of France’s VINCI Construction Grands Projets which is the JV Leader of the Egyptian-French Joint Venture that is carrying out the works of Cairo Metro Line 3 Phase 3. The JV includes Vinci, Orascom and Arab Contractors, in the presence of Dr. Essam Wali - Chairman of the National Authority for Tunnels, Eng. Sayed Farouk – Chairman of the Arab Contractors Company, chairmen of the executing companies, Eng. Ahmed El Assar - Senior Vice Chairman of the Arab Contractors Company and Eng. Eman Soliman - AC Board Member; conducted an inspection tour at the work sites of Cairo Metro Line 3 – Phase 3. The total length of this phase is about 17.7 km, comprising 15 stations (8 underground stations, 5 elevated station and 2 at-ground level stations) from the Attaba in Downtown area under 26th of July Street in Ramlet Boulaq, passing by Maspero and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then it crosses beneath the Nile, passing through the El Zamalek until El Kit Kat, then branch north to Imbaba, passing through El Bohy and El Qawmia El Arabia streets, up to the Ring Road, south branch to El Mohandseen and Boulaq El-Dakrour passing by Wadi El-Nile Street and Gameat El Dewal, then extending to Cairo University and it is implemented in 3 parts.
The Minister’s tour began with an inspection of the final finishes and installations of electromechanical equipment, signals, communications and ticket machines at Nasser Station within the stations of the first part of Phase 3A, which is an interchange station with the first line of the metro, located on an area of 7100m2 and consisting of 4 floors and 52 ticket gates and 4 TVM and 37 escalators from the street level to the sidewalk of the station. The station and other stations are also equipped to receive people of determination, as there are 2 electric elevators at Nasser station. The sidewalks have special slabs to facilitate their movement, and the station has 7 toilets, one of which is designated for them. Then the Minister rode the railway test tractor to inspect the rest of the stations of the first part, which extends from Attaba to El Kit Kat with a length of 4 km and includes (4) underground stations (Nasser - Maspero - Safaa Hegazy – El Kit Kat) passing through the tunnel beneath the Nile from Maspero to Safaa Hegazy in Zamalek. The Minister stressed the need to carry out all works in accordance with international quality standards and for the final finishes of the stations to be of the highest quality.
The Minister of Transport followed up the implementation rates of the second part of the third phase 3B , which extends 6.6 km from El Kit Kat station to the final station at Rod El Farag Axis and includes 6 stations [underground station (Sudan) and 4 elevated stations (Imbaba – El Bohy - El Qawmia El Arabia - The Ring Road). The Minister of Transport followed up its connection with the BRT buses project , which will run on the Ring Road after the completion of its development to achieve service exchange between them) and elevated station (the final station at Rod El Farag Axis ).
The third part of the third phase (3C) , which extends for a length of 7.1 km from El Kit Kat station to Cairo University, through Wadi El-Nile Street,Gameat El Dewal and Boulak El Dakrour, it includes 5 stations [3 underground stations (El Tawfiqia - Wadi El Nile), in which the tunnel boring machine TBM “Nefertiti” is located, it will start moving towards Gamaet El Dowal Station on May 19; besides Boulak station and Cairo University station, which are two elevated stations. It is worth mentioning that the CML3 is considered the first transverse artery to connect east and west Greater Cairo, as it extends 41.2 km in length and includes 34 stations (21 underground - 2 at-ground level - 11 elevated).
The implementation and operation of 3 phases have been completed with a length of approximately 24 km (The first "Attaba – El Abbasiya" with a length of 4.4 km and (5) underground stations - the second "Abbasiya - Haroun" with a length of 7.7 km and (4) underground stations - the fourth with a length of 11.5 km and 10 stations "4 underground 6 elevated") and implementation is underway of the third phase.
CML3 is the link between all components of the rail transport network by electric traction (the metro network - monorail lines - LRT). It exchanges passenger transport service with Line1 at Nasser station and with Line 2 at Attaba and Cairo University stations and with the LRT in Adly Mansour Central Station, and it is integrated with the East Nile Monorail at the stadium station and with the West Nile Monorail at the Wadi El Nile station. This line also includes the largest depot in the Middle East and Africa on an area of 65 feddans and includes 32 buildings where heavy and light overhauls are carried out for trains in addition to washing, painting and renovation of cargos. It is also equipped to store trains with a capacity of 30 trains.
It should be noted here that 32 new trains are being supplied, adhering to the highest modern technological standards, to accommodate the expected increase in the number of passengers after the opening of phase 4 and the completion of this phase, where 21 trains entered service, including 13 trains; besides, the supply of 6 trains. The first train has been assembled and the manufacturing tests are ongoing. The second and third trains are being assembled at Simav factory. Line 3 is expected to transport about 1.5 million passengers /day.
The minister stressed that this tour comes as implementation of the directives of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to expand the green mass transit networks that are environmentally friendly and to complete the metro network in parallel with the implementation of new HST, LRT and the monorail projects. He added that the first part of CML3 – Phase 3 was reassured. He pointed out that each phase of the metro that is operated for the public is contributing to facilitating the movement of citizens, achieving traffic liquidity and reducing air pollution.
The Minister thanked the inhabitants of Zamalek and all the neighborhoods and areas which surround the working sites for bearing the noise resulting from the excavation and the closure of some streets due to the implementation works. He stressed that these areas will witness great traffic flow due to the metro’s attraction to a large number of citizens. He added that he gave directives to restore the thing to its origin in all the streets immediately after its completion to serve the movement of citizens, noting that in parallel with the implementation of these new projects, we are implementing a comprehensive plan to develop the lines 1 and 2 of the metro.