Tehran’s subway network is to expand in four new directions after the under-construction lines are completed, a municipal authority said.
According to Mohsen Pourseyyed-Aqaei, managing director of Transportation and Traffic Organization of Tehran Municipality, the metro network will have four new extensions to provide the capital’s residents with decent and eco-friendly transportation, ISNA reported.
Talks are underway with Tehran City Council and a map has not yet been finalized for the new extensions.
However, "District 22 in the western part of the capital, is definitely one of the target areas in dire need of modern and efficient means of public transportation", he added.
Feasibility studies and field studies are expected to be completed by mid-September. Details such as the number of stations and rail routes will be determined later.
Tehran’s subway network comprises seven lines (numbered 1 to 7) with nearly 100 stations. Line 6 and 7 are under construction.
According to the officials, people in the capital's satellite cities will soon have access to metro transportation services, as the capital's subway network will expand to neighboring cities, such as Malard.
“Located in the western offshoot of Tehran Province and with a population of 300,000, Malard will be linked to Tehran via an inter-city metro line,” Hossein Tavakkoli, the city's governor, said.
Home to numerous industrial units, Malard is growing into a large industrial city.
"As a working place for a large number of people, the city should have adequate transportation facilities to handle the huge number of daily trips," he added.
Tavakkoli noted that preliminary studies for establishing a metro line connecting Malard and its surrounding neighborhoods to the capital have been conducted and the results have been sent to the authorities for approval.
Despite facing challenges, the development of public transportation, especially the subway network, is the best solution for curbing the growing traffic and air pollution in metropolises like Tehran.
