Egypt is set to inaugurate Saturday a number of vital metro stations in Heliopolis within the scope of the fourth phase of development of the metro's third line, as the country prepares to host the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) starting this month. In an official statement, Egypt's transportation ministry said Haroun El-Rashid, El-Shams Club, and Alf Maskan underground stations will be open for passengers starting 15 June for experimental operations. The official inauguration comes after operations began without passengers, to test the rails and motor-driven systems. The ministry said the new stations will help transport a large number of enthusiastic fans attending AFCON games from Heliopolis, Alf Maskan, and Gesr El Suez to a number of stadiums hosting the games, including Cairo International Stadium and El-Salam and 30 June stadiums. Egypt is hosting Africa's favourite AFCON tournament between 21 June and 19 July. Construction at the Heliopolis metro station, which is one of the biggest stations in the MENA region, will be concluded next October, with first and second parts of the third line's phase four set to be completed in April 2020, according to the ministry. The full Haroun El-Rashid - El-Shams Club extension covers a distance of 5.15 km and stops at four tunnel stations and one elevated station at El-Nozha. Work on this phase of the project began in July 2015 and the final cost of construction was 257 million euros plus EGP 1.5 billion. The completed third line is scheduled to launch in 2022 and will serve three million commuters daily. The Cairo underground metro system, which currently carries more than four million passengers daily throughout the capital city and surrounding areas, is one of the city's fastest means of transportation.
