TEHRAN -- The northern half of the Tehran inter-city railway network (Metro) was inaugurated Monday with chairman of the Expediency Council Hojjatoleslam Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani as the guest of honor.

The 7-km railway line services of eight stations starting from Mirdamad street in northern Tehran to a station somewhere in the center of the city.

Tehran mayor Hassan Malek-Madani, former mayor Morteza Alviri, managing director of Tehran subway Mohsen Hashemi, the Chinese deputy prime minister, a member of the Iran-China Joint Economic Commission, Ms W. Uyi, and a number of Majlis deputies were among those who attended the inaugural ceremony of the northern phase of the Tehran subway project.