History
Tehran metro is one of the Middle East’s biggest metros. The initial plans of the Tehran Metro, which was to be Iran’s first metro system, were laid out before the Iranian revolution in the 1970s. In 1970 the Plan and Budget Organization and the Municipality of Tehran announced an international tender for construction of a metro in Tehran. The French company SOFRETU, affiliated with the state-owned Paris transportation authority RATP, won the tender and in the same year began to conduct preliminary studies on the project. In 1974, a final report with a so-called ’street-metro’ proposal was tendered. The street-metro system recommended a road network with a loop express way in the central area and 2 highways for new urban areas and a 8-line metro network which were complemented by bus network and taxi services. Geological surveys commenced in 1976. In 1978 construction on the line was started in northern Tehran by the French company, however this development was shortlived with the advent of the Iranian Revolution and Iran–Iraq War in 1979 and 1980 respectively. SOFRETU ceased operations in Iran in December 1980. On March 3, 1982, the Iranian Cabinet ministers formally announced the stop of Tehran Metro operations by the French company.
In 1985, the “Tehran Metro Execution Plan” was re-approved by Majles (Iran Parliament) on the basis of legal project of “Amendment of Law of Establishment of Tehran Urban and suburban Railway Company” which had been founded on Farvardin 1364 (April 1985). This was a literal continuation of the exact same project that had been laid out before the revolution. Work proceeded slowly due to the continuing Iran–Iraq War and often ground to a halt.
By the summer of 1985, urban pressure from the rapidly urbanising population, and lack of developed public transport system prompted the work to be resumed in earnest. ‘Line 1′ (From Blvd. Shahid Ayatollah Haghani to City of Rey) and its extension to Behesht-e-Zahra Cemetery was made a priority. ‘Line 2′ (From Dardasht in Tehran Pars district to Sadeghiyeh Second Square) and an extending towards the City of Karaj and Mehrshahr district was also made a secondary priority. Studies were also made to establish the previously designed Line 3 and 4. It was decided that an organisation by the name of the Metro Company should be established in order to handle the future development of the system.
Following this phase, the Metro Company was managed by Asghar Ebrahimi Asl for eleven years. During this time, hundreds of millions of dollars were spent on the system and the Metro Company was given government concessions for the exploitation of iron ore mines in Bandar Abbas (Hormuzgan Province), exploitation and sale of Moghan Diotomite mine in Azarbaijan Province, export of refinery residues from Isfahan oil refinery as well as tar from Isfahan steel mill . The year after Asghar Ebrahimi Asl left the management of the Metro Company and Mohsen Hashemi, the current Chairman of the company, succeeded him, the first line of the Tehran Metro was launched between Tehran and Karaj.
On March 7, 1999, an overland Tehran-Karaj express electric train started a limited service of 31.4 km between Azadi Square (Tehran) and Malard (Karaj) calling at one intermediate station at Vardavard. The line was constructed by the Chinese company NORINCO.
Line 5 of the Tehran metro began operating in the year 1999 and was Iran’s first metro system.
From 2000 onwards, commercial operation began on Lines 1 and 2. The wagons on these lines are provided by CNTIC. The railway tracks and points on these lines are provided by the Austrian company Voestalpine.
The Metro uses equipment manufactured by a wide range of international companies: Double-deck passenger cars for the Tehran-Karaj commuter line are supplied by CNTIC and assembled by the Wagon Pars factory in Arak.
To date, approximately one billion US dollars have been spent on the Metro project. Once fully operational, the Tehran Metro is expected to transport about 2 million passengers through its first and second lines.
The lines
Line One
The line, coloured red on system maps, is currently 28.1 km long, of which 14.9 km are underground (from Haqqani highway to Shoush-Khayyam crossing) and the rest runs at surface level. The number of stations along this line is 22 of which 14 stations are located underground and 8 above ground. As of 2005, the total capacity of line one is 640,000 passenger per day, with trains stopping at each station for 20–30 seconds. The trains are each made up of seven wagons, with a nominal capacity of 1,290 seated and standing passengers. The maximum speed of the trains is 80 km per hour which will be tempered to an average of 37 km per hour due to stoppages at stations along the route.
Line One runs mostly north-south. Extension of the line from Mirdamad station to Qolhak station 4.1 KM and three stations opened on May 20 2009. The second phase of this extension Qolhak station to Tajrish Square 4 KM and 4 stations, is under construction and should be completed in 2010. The construction was to be completed by March 2007, however has faced major issues due to large boulders and rock bed in part of the tunnels and water drain issues. It has also faced major financing issues, as the federal government has refused to release funds earmarked for the project, to the municipality.
This line is 20.4 km long, with 19 km as a subway and 1.4 km elevated. There are 19 stations along this line one of which is shared by Line One. Line Two is coloured blue on system maps and runs mostly east-west through the city.
Line Three
This line, will be 16.2 km long at the end of Phase 1, but once completed the length would be 37 km with 32 stations.Its direction is mostly east-west and there is also potential plans for this line to be extended above ground to Imam Khomeini International Airport.
The line will be 20 kilometers long with 22 stations and one terminal. 6 KM of line 4 from Engelab Square to Shohada Square has opened. Section one from Ferdowsi Square to Darvazeh Shemiran opened in March 2007. Section II from Darvazeh shemiran to Shohada square opened in February 2009 and on May 24 2009, section III from Ferdowsi Square to Engelab Square opened.
Currently there are 7 stations in operation on line 4.
The line coloured green on system maps, is 41.5 km long and has seven stations and one terminal. Entering the area of Karaj with main stations at Bonyad-e Rang, Karaj and Mehrshahr.It connects with the western end of Line Two at Tehran (Sadeghiyeh) station.
