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Tehran Metro

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The Tehran Metro is a huge train system in the capital of Iran.

Metro Tehran
Metro Tehran

It is the largest metro system in the Middle East. This network helps millions of people move around the busy city every day. In 2018, people made 820 million trips on these trains. Today, the metro carries more than 3 million passengers every single day. It is a vital way for people to travel to work or school.

Tehran Metro-Azadi Station
Tehran Metro-Azadi Station

The system works using many different lines that run mostly underground.

Metro Tehran
Metro Tehran

Some lines also run on the surface or on elevated tracks. Most lines use a standard gauge, which is a specific width for the tracks. To build tunnels under the city, workers use a tunnel boring machine, or TBM. This machine helps pass safely through urban areas without causing the ground to sink. Line 1 is an express subway line that can travel quite fast. It connects the city to the Imam Khomeini International Airport.

Tehran Metro Line 1
Tehran Metro Line 1

Planning for this metro began in the late 1960s.

Metro Tehran
Metro Tehran

A French company called SOFRETU won a bid to study the project in 1970. However, work was hard to finish because of the Iranian Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War. Construction finally started in northern Tehran in 1978, but it was short-lived. The French company stopped working in Iran in December 1980. In 1985, the Iranian Parliament re-approved the plan to build the metro. This was a continuation of the same project from before the revolution.

Metro Tehran
Metro Tehran

There are many important facts about how the metro operates.

Tehran Metro Line 2
Tehran Metro Line 2

There are currently six operational lines and one commuter rail line. The system is owned by the Tehran Urban and Suburban Railway. One ticket costs 5,300 Iranian Toman, which is about 0.05 US dollars. Seniors can travel on the metro for free. On all trains, the first car and half of the second car are reserved for women.

Teheran Metro women only
Teheran Metro women only

Line 1 is special because one station stays open 24 hours a day.

Tehran Metro Line 1
Tehran Metro Line 1

You can think of the metro as the veins of the city.

Just as veins carry blood to different parts of your body, these tracks carry people to different parts of Tehran. The system is growing very fast right now. Workers are building seven more lines to help more people. By the year 2040, the plan is to have eleven lines in total. This would mean the city will have 330 stations for everyone to use.

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🖼️ Images & Media (13)
File:Teheran Metro women only.jpg
Teheran Metro women only.jpg
File:Tehran Metro-Azadi Station.jpg
Tehran Metro-Azadi Station.jpg
File:Golshahr metRo.jpg
Golshahr metRo.jpg
File:Metro Tehran.svg
Metro Tehran.svg
File:Tehran Metro Line 1.png
Tehran Metro Line 1.png
File:Tehran Metro Line 2.png
Tehran Metro Line 2.png
File:Tehran Metro Line 3.png
Tehran Metro Line 3.png
File:Tehran Metro Line 4.svg
Tehran Metro Line 4.svg
File:Tehran Metro Line 5.svg
Tehran Metro Line 5.svg
File:Tehran Metro Line 6.svg
Tehran Metro Line 6.svg
File:Tehran Metro Line 7.svg
Tehran Metro Line 7.svg
File:Tehran Metro map-Planned-geo.png
Tehran Metro map-Planned-geo.png

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