TEHRAN – The first domestically manufactured subway train was unveiled during a ceremony on Saturday, with 85 percent of the parts developed and made inside the country, despite sanctions on the domestic industry, ISNA reported.

In June 2019, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology, Tehran Urban and Suburban Railway Company, and the Innovation and Prosperity Fund to complete the subway train project under an 18-month contract. 

Through the project, the 25 to 30 percent share of domestic companies in designing, manufacturing, and supplying subway train parts has increased to 85 percent, Ali Emam, head of Tehran Urban and Suburban Railway Company said.

The national train was produced by 18 knowledge-based companies and based on the experience of the last 20 years in the production of three generations of subway cars, he noted.

In the proposed plan, the cost of production was estimated at €20 million, while it cost €12 million, so that, caused €8 million currency saving, he stated.

It is scheduled to mass-produce the train after obtaining the financial resources, he concluded.

During this ceremony, two more stations on Tehran Metro Line 6 were also inaugurated.

Tehran metro line 6 covering 32 kilometers of the capital consists of 30 stations, which are equipped with proper air conditioning systems, escalators, and fire extinguishing systems, and are also accessible for physically challenged people. The line connects southwestern Tehran to northwestern parts of the capital.

Tehran subway system consists of five operational lines, stretching to 170 kilometers, and lines 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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