The driver of a subway train on Thursday asked passengers to jump off carriages onto the tracks after his train went past a station in southern Cairo.

Ahram Arabic news website reporter said the driver of the Helwan-bound train said the incident -- which took place at around 5:30PM in the above-ground station of Hadaek Al-Maadi  -- resulted from a malfunction in the brakes.

Egypt transport facilities are notorious for their low safety standards and poor maintenance.

An estimated 3.5 million people in the  21-million Greater Cairo area rely on the partly over-ground subway for their daily commute.

Also on Thursday, train movement along the metro's second line was briefly halted after a train broke down near Shubra El-Khaima -- on the outskirts of Cairo, causing serious congestion in several stations.