The Logistics of Settling In 163modernisation of the 13-year-old system was approved
on an urgent basis. Old wagons and their air conditioning
system will be refurbished, new wagons will be added,
and new locomotives will be added. In addition, the
line between Old El Marg and El Marg El Gedeeda will
be doubled.
Station names can be confusing, so be sure to know the
station name that takes you near to where you want to go.
Line 1 runs from Helwan north-east to El Marg station. Only
five stations in central Cairo are underground. Line 2 connects
the Shobra to the Giza Suburbs station taking a tunnel under
the Nile. It crosses Line 1 at the Mubarak and Sadat stations,
so you can change lines here. Line 2 does not go all the way
to the Pyramids, but comes close. If you take it to the Giza
Suburbs stop, you will be very close to Giza Square where
you can take a taxi, bus or micro-bus to the pyramids. Line
3 was originally planned to run from Embaba in the north-
west to Salah Salem in the east crossing both existing lines
in the city centre. Later the project was modified and the
eastern leg will now end at the Airport. After Ataba (Line
2), it will continue towards the north-east through Abbasiya
and Heliopolis. In the west, a branch from Kit Kat Square
to Mohandiseen was added to the project. Line 3 will be
33 km (21 miles) long, with 29 stations, of which 27 will be
underground. It will be built in four phases. (See the Cairo
Metro map on the facing page.)
Finding stations is easy. Look for the signs with a big red
‘M’ in a blue star. The underground stations usually have
several exits, so you need to know which one takes you where
you are going above ground. If you go out the wrong one,
you can end up a block or more from where you intended.
By the way, the first car (two cars during peak hours) on
each train is reserved for women only. You will occasionally
see women in other cars, but women definitely prefer the
women’s cars (no pinches there).
About halfway down the steps to the Metro stations or
outside the gates of the Metro station, posted signs indicate
these are non-smoking areas. Believe the signs! If you do not,
you are likely to have police pull you aside and issue a ticket