Tehran Metro

Tehran's rail system developed through both suburban and urban services. The western suburban route, known as Line 5, opened between Tehran and Karaj in March 1999. The first central section of Line 2 followed in February 2000, connecting Sadeghieh with Imam Khomeini. Line 1 began carrying passengers in 2001. These separate openings explain why accounts of the system's beginning may distinguish suburban rail from the urban metro. s1

Expansion was gradual rather than a single opening of complete lines. The specialist chronology records extensions and individual station openings separately. This distinction matters: an inaugurated route section does not establish that every intermediate station was available from its first day. s1

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The system includes different kinds of railway. Line 5 provides a surface commuter connection westward, while central urban lines form an interchange network. Line 1 and Line 2 meet at Imam Khomeini. Airport access also involves distinct branches: the Mehrabad connection branches from Line 4, whereas the Imam Khomeini International Airport connection is associated with Line 1. The latter was extended to Parand in 2023. s1

A September 2023 industry report describes further connections across the urban network. Line 3 offers interchange with Lines 1, 4, and 6, while Line 6 links several other routes. The same report records passenger-service openings on extensions of Lines 4, 6, and 7 during 2023. Such additions matter because an extension can create a new transfer opportunity as well as bring rail service to another district. s2

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The September 2023 report describes standard-gauge track and a technical distinction between third-rail power on Lines 1–4 and overhead supply on Line 5. These differences reinforce that the network's common passenger identity encompasses more than one operating format. s2

The report also contains inconsistent classifications and apparent editing errors, including a reference to an Isfahan fare card in its Tehran entry. Its aggregate network and ridership figures are therefore not reproduced here. A current operator inventory is needed before publishing a definitive total of operational stations or route length. s2

For understanding Tehran, the most useful starting point is the relationship between central interchange routes and outward suburban connections. For an actual journey, however, this historical account cannot establish current branch frequencies, station availability, or operating hours. Those details require a dated service notice rather than inference from a network map.

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