Allocation of 7 trillion rials ($166.6 million) worth of bonds for completion of Line 7 has helped speed up the construction, Head of Tehran Urban and Suburban Railway Operation Company told reporters.
Ali Emam briefed the press on the process of developing the city’s subway system over the weekend, reported ISNA.
“Some 65% of Line 7 has been constructed. Phase one of the seven-kilometer-long line between Shahid Navab-e Safavi and Molavi is in final stages and will probably open by May.”
Tehran Municipality has pushed to raise public funds for the expansion of the Tehran subway system so as to avoid relying on national funds.
If the rest of the project is properly funded, Line 7 is to complete before March 2019.
Head of Tehran’s rail company also clued the public in on the development of lines 6 and 3.
According to him, the first phase of the ten-kilometer-long Line 6 between Dowlat Abad and Emam Hossein Square will be operational by August.
The final station of line 3, Aghdasiyeh, is currently under construction. Emam, on a hopeful note, added that the project will conclude by September, which will fully wrap up Line 3’s development.
Metro’s budget has experienced a 50% increase in the fiscal that started in March, due to the rise in the annual budget and issuance of bonds; therefore, it is expected of Tehran’s subway to shape up in the current year.
The city’s subway system comprises seven main lines (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, of which lines 3, 6 and 7 are yet to be completed) with nearly 100 stations.
Tehran Metro in its latest report said 3.8 million commuters use the subway network on a daily basis.
However, this is definitely not enough for a megacity like Tehran, in which, according to statistics, over 15 million people commute every day, many coming from the satellite cities.
