- Fare and where to buy tickets
- Metro lines
- Working hours
- History
- Peculiarities
The first metro system to be built in Africa is the Cairo metro. It also became the first metro in the Middle East.
The opinions of tourists about the metro in the Egyptian capital are very different. Someone calls this metro "wild" and claims that chaos reigns inside it, while others claim that this is a completely ordinary metro. Which one is right? You can visit the Cairo Metro and decide on your own.
The metro covers about a third of the metropolis, which is not very convenient for those who decide to use this transport for sightseeing. However, at present, the lines are being lengthened, more and more new stations are being built - this process is very active. Soon the metro system will cover those areas of the metropolis, where today many tourists get by other types of public transport (for example, by taxi).
The metro of the Egyptian capital has many advantages, including a democratic fare. It hasn't changed for years.
Fare and where to buy tickets
The fare for the metro in the Egyptian capital does not depend on the distance of the trip, in all cases it remains unchanged and amounts to one Egyptian pound. This is one of the differences between the Cairo metro and the subways of many other megacities in the world. This low price is due to the fact that the metro is supported by state subsidies. The real cost of travel is much higher than what is currently established.
Another difference between the Cairo metro and many other similar transport systems concerns the process of buying a ticket. You will not see queues near the ticket offices, not because the process of selling travel documents is well regulated, but because the townspeople are not used to queuing. There is usually just a crowd of people near the checkout, too chaotic for the word "queue" to apply to it. You need to get through this crowd to the ticket office and then you can buy a ticket. One more nuance: since it is usually noisy near the checkout, the cashier, most likely, will not hear how many tickets you need, and will give them exactly the amount that you transferred to the checkout window. Therefore, try to stock up on small change in advance and do not give the cashier large bills. And if you want to avoid the hustle and bustle near the ticket office, buy tickets at such times when there is still no large influx of passengers in the metro. And in general, it is better to refrain from trips during rush hours: in terms of the degree of congestion, the Cairo metro is very similar to the Moscow one.
After taking the metro, do not rush to throw away your travel document, as you will still need it at the exit. If you do not present your ticket when exiting the subway, you will have to pay a fine, which is fifteen Egyptian pounds.
Metro lines
The Cairo metro system consists of three lines and sixty-four stations. The total length of the network is just under seventy-eight kilometers. The track is standard (that is, it complies with the European standard).
Branches are shown in the diagram in three different colors:
- red;
- yellow;
- green.
The length of the first branch (Red) is about forty-five kilometers. Its underground section is very small - its length is only three kilometers. There are thirty-five stations on the branch. Its capacity is sixty thousand people per hour. The townspeople sometimes call the branch "French".
The length of the second branch (Yellow) is about twenty kilometers. There are twenty stations on it. The branch is almost entirely underground. The only exceptions are two small sections, one of which is located in the northern part of the city, and the second - in the south of the metropolis. Locals often call the branch "Japanese".
The third line (Green) is the shortest of the three. There are nine stations on it. Currently, active work is underway to extend it; after their completion, the branch will connect the metropolis with the airport. It is safe to say that this line will be in great demand among tourists.
One of the metro tunnels of the Egyptian capital runs under the bed of the Nile.
There are projects of three more branches. Their construction should improve the transport situation in the metropolis. The length of each of these branches will be approximately twenty kilometers. Two of them will be completely underground. One of the branches will have to cross the Nile.
Every year, the Egyptian capital's metro transports approximately eight hundred and forty million passengers. In the future, their number, according to experts' forecasts, will increase significantly.
Working hours
The metro of the Egyptian capital opens its doors to the first passengers at six o'clock in the morning. His work stops at half past one in the morning. It should be noted that the schedule of the metro in the summer is somewhat different from how the metro operates in the winter months. However, these differences are quite insignificant: in summer the metro starts operating fifteen minutes earlier than in winter. Also, the stop time for trains in winter and summer differs by only fifteen minutes.
History
The metro in the Egyptian capital was opened in the late 1980s. It was then that the first section of the Red Line was put into operation. Two years later, the second section was opened, and at the end of the 90s - the third. Shortly before the opening of the third section, the Yellow Line was put into operation.
As mentioned above, there are currently plans to build several new branches. In the near future, the Cairo metro system should expand significantly and become much more convenient for both tourists and local residents.
Peculiarities
The two carriages in the middle of each train are female, that is, they are intended exclusively for the fair sex. Although the ladies, of course, can ride in other carriages, if they wish. There are two types of women's carriages: those that are always intended only for women, and those that are female only from nine in the morning until nine in the evening. Men are strictly forbidden to enter such carriages, therefore, representatives of the sterner sex should pay attention to the special badge placed on the carriages for ladies. This icon looks like this: a miniature female silhouette is depicted on a green background.
The most beautiful metro station in the Egyptian capital is Sadat. Be sure to visit her! This station is decorated with mosaics and statues stylized as ancient Egyptian. In fact, the theme of the design is dedicated to the ancient history of the country. It is near this station that the famous Cairo Museum is located.
There are no air conditioners in the carriages of the Cairo metro, only fans are working. If you are on the metro of the Egyptian capital during rush hour, try to immediately take a seat in the carriage by the window - it is less hot there.
There are no toilets at the stations. This is a rather unpleasant difference between the Cairo metro and many other similar transport systems in the world.
Plates providing various useful information are usually bilingual: the inscriptions are in Arabic and English. But all metro maps are in Arabic only.
Important information for tourists: there are a lot of pickpockets in the Cairo Metro! Take all necessary precautions to keep your money and documents out of the reach of thieves.
Official website: www.cairometro.gov.eg
Metro Cairo
