THE 19km Phase 1 of Cairo Metro Line 4, which includes a new Pyramids station, is scheduled to open in the first half of 2028, Dr Tarek Gewaily, chairman of the National Authority for Tunnels (NAT), revealed on April 28.

The announcement was made at an event where the president of Egypt, Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, marked the completion of a 6.35km underground section by launching the tunnel boring machine (TBM) that will excavate the final segment connecting Hadaeq El Ashgar and Pyramids stations.

Al-Sisi was joined by prime minister Mostafa Madbouly, transport minister, Kamel al-Wazir, and Yo Ebisawa, chief representative of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) in Egypt. Jica is lending up to Yen 100bn ($US 640m) to fund the construction of Line 4.

Phase 1 runs largely underground, serving 17 stations, from the boundary between Cairo and 6th of October City to Grand Egyptian Museum, Remaya Square, Haram Street, Giza Station, El-Malek El-Saleh and Fustat. Gewaily says that Line 4 will carry approximately 2 million passengers a day when completed.

Mitsubishi is supplying 23 trains for the line, the first of which is scheduled for delivery this month. Working with local partner Orascom Construction, Mitsubishi is also undertaking tracklaying, construction of depot facilities and the installation of electromechanical systems. Civil works are being undertaken by domestic firms Arab Contractors, Orascom, Concord, Petrojet, and Hassan Allam Construction.

The government is currently considering three further phases for Line 4:

  • Phase 2: Fustat - New Cairo
  • Phase 3: Hadaeq El Ashgar - Hosary Square, and
  • Phase 4: New Cairo - the Capital Airport.

The extended line will provide interchange with the planned metro Line 6, the Light Rail Transit (LRT) network and both the East of Nile and West of Nile monorail lines.

East of Nile monorail

Separately, the first section of the 56.5km East of Nile monorail line opened to passengers on May 6, following an official inauguration ceremony on March 20. Alstom-built Innovia trains are currently serving 16 of the 22 stations between Justice City in the New Capital and Marshal Tantawi in New Cairo, running between 06.00 and 18.00.

“With more than 98% of the workforce drawn from Egypt, this project showcases national engineering excellence and deep local know-how,” says Ramy Salah El Din, managing director of Alstom Egypt

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