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ME’s Largest Metro Station Opens April 13

ME’s Largest Metro  Station Opens April 13
ME’s Largest Metro  Station Opens April 13

The countdown has begun for the inauguration of ‘Sun City’ (Shahr-e-Aftab) subway station.

Located at the end of Tehran-Parand metro junction, the station is said to be the Middle East’s largest, and was constructed to facilitate commute to Shahr-e-Aftab International Exhibition Complex, ISNA reported.

The newly-established Sun City is ready to host this year’s edition of the Tehran International Book Fair (May 5-15).

Built over an area of 138 hectares, it is the second biggest exhibition center in Asia and the third in the world after similar complexes in Germany and China. It is located on Tehran-Qom highway, close to the Imam Khomeini International Airport.

According to Ali Akbar Ashari, spokesperson for the policymaking council of the book fair, the station will officially open on April 13.

At present, the project is going through its final stages which include installation of escalators, automatic ticket control gates and other necessary equipment.

The station covers an area of 25,000 sq m and is approximately three times larger than the country’s normal subway stations.

Before completion of the project, Tajrish station with a land area of 15,000 sq m was registered as the Middle East’s largest metro station.

  Island Platform

Unlike other subway stations in Iran, Shahr-e-Aftab benefits from an “island platform” arrangement. An island platform (also center platform) is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transit-way interchange. Island platforms are popular on twin-track routes and can provide for services in both directions from a single platform requiring only one set of supporting services (lifts, escalators, toilets, ticket offices, kiosks).

The station’s design is inspired by the Chehel Sotoun (literally, 40 Columns) Palace in Isfahan.

The new metro station will help reduce concerns about the new venue for the TIBF (on the outskirts of the capital, almost 30 km from the city) seen as being inconvenient for the large numbers of people visiting the annual event at its previous location in the heart of the capital city.

Since 2007 up until last year, the annual event was held at Imam Khomeini Grand Mosalla (prayer grounds) in central Tehran. However, due to the heavy traffic snarls during the fair and the constant complaints from disgruntled residents living in the vicinity, it was decided to move the fair to a location far away from the city precincts.

Before the year 2007, Tehran Permanent International Fairgrounds was the venue for the cultural event. But as it was also the venue for other international events, the TIBF relocated to Mosalla in the same year.

Financialtribune.com