Egypt’s 1st Subway Opens for Business
Egypt’s new subway, the first underground railway in Africa and the Middle East, opened for passengers on Thursday.
The Cairo subway, begun by a French consortium in 1982, was inaugurated last Sunday by French Premier Jacques Chirac and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak who called it an answer to the dreams of Egyptians frustrated by horrendous traffic.
The first phase now open cost about $370 million at the official exchange rate used during construction. Other lines are planned for later this century.
Technically, the system appeared to run smoothly. From dawn, trains trundled along the 2.8-mile underground track every four minutes, stopping at stations decorated with mosaics of past and present national leaders.
City officials say the network is expected to ease regular bus and pedestrian traffic considerably.
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