In what year did the Cairo Metro open?

The Cairo Metro opened in 1987. Its first section, Line 1, began service on 27 September 1987, running for 29 kilometres between Helwan and Ramses Square.

Line 1 was created by combining a new underground section with upgraded surface railway routes. The line was completed in 1989, connecting Helwan with El Marg and reaching 42.5 kilometres with 34 stations at that stage. New El Marg was later added in 1999.

The Cairo Metro was the first full-fledged metro system in Africa and the first in the Middle East. Its arrival was especially significant for Greater Cairo, whose population and commuter flows had outgrown existing public transport. The network’s capacity increased substantially after the metro opened.

A frequent mistake is choosing 1996, the opening year of Line 2, rather than the system’s launch year. Line 3 began opening in 2012, but neither date replaces 1987 as the Cairo Metro’s starting point.