The Cairo Metro Expansionتوسعة مترو القاهرة

The Cairo Metro was the first metro system in Africa and the Arab world, and it carries enormous numbers of passengers daily across the capital. The current expansion adds new lines and extends existing ones deeper into the city and its suburbs — including the completion of newer lines and work on additional lines designed to connect high-density districts and reach growing areas that the metro has not served before.

The expansion is bringing fast, affordable rail to more of Greater Cairo, with new lines planned and built to link districts that have long relied on buses and cars. Crucially, the metro also interconnects with the new modes — the monorail, the LRT, and the high-speed rail — at shared interchange stations, making it the central hub of the capital's integrated transport system.

For all the glamour of monorails and high-speed trains, the humble metro remains the workhorse of Cairo's public transport, moving millions affordably every day. Expanding it is one of the most effective ways to tackle the city's severe congestion and pollution, offering a cheap, fast alternative to cars. As it grows and links up with the new railways, the metro stays at the heart of a more modern, connected Cairo.

• What it is: the ongoing expansion of the Cairo Metro.
• Arabic name: توسعة مترو القاهرة (Cairo Metro Expansion).
• Heritage: the first metro in Africa and the Arab world.
• Adds: new lines and extensions across the metropolis.
• Connects with: the monorail, LRT, and high-speed rail.
• Role: the affordable backbone of Cairo transit.

Sources include recent reports on Egypt's transport network (current as of 2026). Figures are approximate and parts of the network are still being completed.