IRAN: Two stations at the northwestern end of Tehran metro Line 6 were opened for revenue service on March 13, along with an isolated section of the route.
The short section of Line 6 serving Yadegar-e-Emam and Shahid Sattari is being operated as a separate shuttle from the interchange with Line 7 at Tarbiat Modares University. It will be connected to the southeastern part of the route which opened in 2019 with the completion of the cross-city core, bringing Line 6 to a total length of 38 km and 31 stations.
Inaugurating the Line 7 station at Milad Tower on December 17, Tehran Mayor Pirouz Hanachi committed to completing 10 stations before the end of the Iranian year on March 20, as part of an expansion programme aimed at encouraging modal shift and reducing the capital’s traffic congestion. His priority is to complete lines 6 and 7 which will add 70 route-km and bring the metro network to around 240 km.
December 17 also saw the commissioning of the Line 6 station at Amir Kabir, on the eastern section of that route. The intermediate stations at Ghiam Square and Doolab on the southern part of Line 7 were put into service on March 4.
The 22nd station on Line 6, Shahid Sattari has been developed by Behro Consulting Engineers. Located beneath Behnam Square at the intersection of the Sattari and Hakim highways with Payambar Street, the station is 21 m below ground, with 140 m platforms.
Hanachi told local media that the coronavirus pandemic and travel restrictions had seen metro usage slump during 2020, with Tehran Metro carrying around 10% of its normal 5·2 million passengers/day. Nevertheless, the mayor remains committed to doubling the size of the network. Last September he attended a ceremony to mark the start of work on Line 10, which will eventually run for 43 km from an interchange with Line 5 at Vardavard to the west of the capital to the Ghanat Kowsar district in the east, serving 35 stations.
