Egypt's government will contribute by 50% of total financing for the 3rd phase of the third metro line project, Chairman of National Authority for Tunnels (NAT) Ismail El-Nagdy announced on Thursday. The Egyptian official further elaborated that the government will contribute by EGP 9 billion out of total financing worth EGP 18 billion to the 3rd phase of the third metro line project. Egypt had received €940 million from the French Development Agency (Agence Française de Développement AFD) and the European Investment Bank for the third phase of the third metro line project. Around 7 global firms have applied so far for the tender launched by the Egyptian government for the third metro line project's 3rd phase, he noted. Works on the third phase is likely to kick off before the end of the current year, NAT chairman added. Cairo Metro Line 3 is a main line of the Cairo Metro mass transit system in Greater Cairo, Egypt extends from the northwest of the Greater Cairo at Imbaba to the northeast and will eventually serve Heliopolis and Cairo International Airport. The line crosses the River Nile twice at the western branch between Kit Kat and Zamalek and the eastern branch between Zamalek and downtown Cairo. The total length of the line is approximately 30.6 km of which 28.1 km is an underground section and the rest of the line about 2.5 km shall be on grade[1] and will be implemented in four phases. The project includes a main workshop adjacent to the western terminal of the line and a light repair workshop at the middle of the line at Abbasia. The line will use trains manufactured in Japan by Kinki Sharyo Co. and Toshiba Corp. Phase 3 was set to begin in 2011 but was delayed due to the recent uprising in Egypt. The construction began in January 2012. This is the western branch of Line 3, this phase will connect Attaba Station with the already existing Gamal Abdel Nasser Station through Emad El-Din Street with a new station built in between, it will then continue on its way onto Maspero (New Station) and run under both branches of the Nile passing through Zamalek island and ending at Sphinx Square Station. Completion date is set at October 2015. Cairo Metro, the first metro network in Africa, has been operational since 1990. The network consists of two lines, and a further two are planned.
