TEHRAN – Although currently some 121 trains are running in the capital’s subway system, it will soon face lack of cars with inauguration of new lines being under construction, head of construction and transportation commission of Tehran City Council has said.

Currently, the total number of operational trains serving the passengers is 106 trains and 15 trains are running on the subway line 5 linking western Tehran to Karaj, Alborz province, so the city’s subway system comprises 121 trains, Mehr news agency quoted Mohammad Ali Krouni as saying on Monday.

Referring to trains left out of service due to lack of equipment or proper facilities for maintenance, he lamented that the main problem which kept these trains from getting back to subway ridership is the lack of budget. 

15 trains which used to be operational in lines 1 to 4 are out of order and also 25 non-functional cars and 11 broken locomotives are on Line 5, which have been out of service due to lack of equipment or incidents, he further explained, adding that the average cost of repairing the aforesaid trains is about $50 billion rials (nearly $1.2 million).

He went on to say that a budget of 750 billion rials (about $18 million) is required to develop the subway fleet. 

“If subway lines 6 and 7, which connects the northwestern Tehran to the southeastern parts, are exploited, we will face a shortage of cars, which is already a problem,” he added.

The escalators of some subway stations are not functioning anymore, and the budget does not suffice the costs, so that newly ordered trains must be released from the customs to support public transportation fleet, he concluded.

Tehran subway system consists of five operational lines, stretching to 170 kilometers, and two lines of 6 and 7 are under construction. The lines link south to north, east to west and are gradually covering more neighborhoods. By completing the two aforementioned lines 70 kilometers will be added to the current railways.

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