Cairo Metro Line 1
Cairo Metro Line 1 is the first line of the Cairo Metro in Cairo, Egypt. It is the first metro system in the Arabian countries and also in Africa. It was constructed in 1987 and connects Helwan with El Marg, stopping at 35 stations. Line 1, sometimes called the French-built line or simply the French line has a total length of with of it being underground and has trains that run with 3 units (9 cars), which have a frequency of 2.5 minutes and a maximum speed of . The line can carry 60,000 passengers per  hour in each direction. Costs. The Construction of the project started in 1982 after the French government agreed on giving Egypt the necessary loan. The first Helwan - El Marg line costs 1107 million Francs which were converted into EGP and divided into multiple stages. The total cost of the first stage from Helwan to Ramsis is 473.9 million EGP divided into the following: The second stage coasted in total 499.6 million EGP and connected the (Laymoun Bridge-Marg) railway with the metro. Additional costs were made available as requested by the ministry of transportation: Construction. The construction of the Helwan -El Marg line was in two stages. The first stage was from Helwan to Sayeda Zenab and included a tunnel from Helwan to Ramsis square. First the line from Helwan to Sayeda Zenab, which is long had the following construction works: Second the line from Helwan to Ramsis square, which would be a subterranean and is long. It includes five subterranean stations after the Sayeda Zenab station: The Construction of this line consumed the following resources: In 1987 the line from Helwan to Ramsis square was finished and opened for the public. It had a total length of . The second  stage of the Helwan El Marg line included the construction of a line from Ramsis square to El marg, which would be long. The operation of the line was aimed for 1988, but due to some difficulties it started operation in 1989. The second stage included also: Connections. To other Metro lines. Line 1 connects to Line 2 at Shohadaa and Sadat Stations. It is expected to connect with Line 3 in October 2015 at Nasser Station when Phase 3 of Line 3 is completed. To other forms of transit. Shohadaa Station is immediately next to Ramses Station, providing access  to Egyptian National Railways long-haul and short-haul domestic passenger service. Cairo Transport Authority buses and private microbus services are also nearby. Access to Cairo International Airport is expected via transfer to Line 3 upon completion of Phase 4 in early 2020. Driving Simulator. A new train driving simulator integrated in Cairo Metro's training center dedicated for Line 1 drivers, which was provided by Transurb Technirail that won the international tender issued by Cairo Metro in December 2011. Transurb Technirail will provide Cairo Metro with a driving simulator and a computer-assisted learning area to train Line 1  drivers, improving their driving skills and to train them on the elementary functions of the rolling stock and on how to handle malfunctions.