Tehran Metro
The decision to build a metro in Tehran was first made in 1958. However, upon the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979 and withdrawal of the French contractors, and following the recommendations and emphatic supports of President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, the Tehran Metro Company (TMC) was reactivated in 1986. At present, 96 km of metro has been excavated by TMC, of which 30 km is underground and the remaining runs on surface track. The double track metro stretches from north to south and ftom east to west of Tehran and will soon become operational. One of the metro routes runs from Azadi Square towards Karaj, 40 km to the west of Tehran.
This route will have tow tracks, one allocated to 'local trains, stopping at every stop," and the other, called the "express train," non-stop on a high speed track. According to TMC sources, lines I (from north to south of Tehran) and 2 (from East to west) will become operational in 1997 and help relieve the traffic congestion by carrying at least 3 million passengers per day. Based on a $984 million-contract signed with the Chinese government, China is supplying the equipment required for the control centers, wagons, and locomotives.