Helwan Railline at Cairo, Egypt

n 1904, the Cattauis and the Menashes, together with two influential British Financial Advisors to the Egyptian Government Sir Auckland Colvin and Sir Elwin Palmer formed the Egyptian Delta Land & Investment Company which created in 1907 the suburb of Maadi along the Bab al-Louk - Helwan railway line. The railway itself belonged to a consortium led by Jacob Cattaui’s son-in-law, Felix Suares. Delta Land was but one of several urban and agricultural venture capital companies owned by the same business elite of Cattauis, Suares, Menashes and Rolos. Later, it was joined by Elie Mosseri whose accumulated wealth surpassed the richest of his relations making him the undisputed taipan.

http://www.hsje.org/The%20House%20oof%20Yacoub%20Cattaui.html

The railway link to Helwan was into its second decade of operation. Originally a military line running from the Citadel to a fetishkhana (gunpowder factory) located near the river port town of Torah, it was turned over by Khedivial decree to the powerful Suares-led financial consortium on 30 April 1888.

Realizing the railway's potential, the Suares Consortium embarked on a complete overhaul by adding a new double track route running from the Bab al-Louk district in Cairo up to the Torah Town junction. The new scenic route replaced the older one, which ran from the foot of the Citadel at Midan Salah al-Din, going mostly through the desert passing alongside Bassatine and Wadi Digla before reaching Torah.

From Torah to Helwan it was a straight run southwards through the quarries and agricultural fields that bordered the Nile.

The Consortium also imported new rolling stock and built new stations. It was not surprising therefore that the Cairo - Helwan railway was known in those days as the 'Suares Line' or 'Khat Suares' rather than by its much longer official name of 'The Cairo Metropolitan and Helwan Railway Company'.

With much fanfare the new Bab al-Louk - Helwan line was inaugurated by Mr. Felix Suares in November 1889.

http://www.egy.com/maadi/96-11-16.shtml