CAIRO, May 23, 2018 (MENA) - Transport Minister Hisham Arafat said on Wednesday that the third metro line, with its four phases, will extend for 48 kilometers and include 39 stations, to be the longest metro line in the Middle East. The minister's statements came during the launch of the digging works of the third stage of the third metro line. Minister Arafat clarified that the fourth metro line contract will be signed in July. Arafat also revealed plans for establishing six metro lines to link Cairo, Giza and the New Administrative Capital by 2030. Moreover, the minister said Greater Cairo metro's third line serves three million passengers daily and includes four new underground stops (Gamal Abdel Nasser, Maspero, Zamalek, and Kitkat). The minister also noted that the investment value of the Greater Cairo metro is estimated at LE 1.9 billion for the first line, LE 9.7 billion for the second line, LE 96 for the third line and LE 53 for the fourth line. Premier Sherif Ismail, who attended the launch ceremony, asked the head of the National Authority for Tunnels to cover the operation and maintenance costs of all the metro lines in order to avoid putting more burdens on the state's treasury. Ismail also said that citizens should know that costs of maintenance and construction of the Metro lines could reach up to LE140 billion by 2022.
