This might turn out to be one of 2017’s greatest plans, or it might just be a total flop. Many people have mixed feelings about this particular piece of news, torn between whether the project is a lifesaver or a disastrous attempt to ruin the posh neighborhood of Zamalek. The news of a Zamalek metro station has finally been confirmed, and whether the residents like it or not, it seems to be on its way to becoming an inevitable reality.
Eng. Tarek Abo El-Wafa, President of the Central Administration of Planning, confirmed the start of construction works at the Zamalek metro station on Ismail Mohamed Street as part of the third line of the Greater Cairo underground.
Zamalek residents, however, are addressing some fears as per Abo El-Wafa. “To begin with, they’re afraid that due to the nature of Zamalek’s soil, being an island, that it will not hold up and this might lead to houses being damaged. Secondly, the sewage system on the island is ancient and deteriorating. They requested that the problem be fixed after the 1992 earthquake, but it was only ignored. This means that any kind of drilling or digging might affect important landmarks like museums and embassies. He refuted this argument by explaining that the Zamalek soil is made up of two layers, clay and sand respectively, and that the station will be built between those layers and that there is nothing to worry about.
The residents also fear that the streets around the station might turn very chaotic and unsafe, because they would be very easily accessible to thieves and street vendors. This makes no sense, as per Eng. Abo el-Wafa, because there are a lot of metro stations in other upscale areas around Cairo and this is not the case. He also accused the people of Zamalek of being narcissistic, explaining that this metro station will serve them as well as the island’s visitors including the huge number of school students who commute there on a daily basis.
Abo el- Wafa also added that those who are against this decision probably don’t exceed 20 people. The authorities plan to meet with them in either the Sawy Cultural Wheel or the Engineers Club in Zamalek to further discuss the project. On the other hand, we can’t wait until this new metro station becomes a reality. We now have more excuses to pop in Zamalek whenever we feel like it!
