Tehran–Qom–Isfahan high-speed rail

Objective

The 410-kilometer rail corridor promises to knit together two critical international transit arteries - the North-South Corridor, linking Russia to the Persian Gulf and onward to India, and the East-West Corridor, or the modern Silk Road, connecting China to Europe via Central Asia and Turkey.

Description

Tehran–Qom–Isfahan high-speed rail is the first truly high-speed rail project in Iran. Construction began on 25 February 2015. The rail line would decrease travel times between Tehran and Isfahan, passing through Qom. It connects Isfahan and Qom to Imam Khomeini International Airport.

History

Recognising the limits of existing conventional rail, which only allowed for lower speeds (even on the older, conventional Tehran-Isfahan route linked by 2009), Iran began planning its first dedicated high-speed line in the early 2010s.

Finance