Tehran-Hamedan Passenger Rail Service Launched

passenger rail service connecting the capital city Tehran to Hamedan started on Wednesday.

“Trains on this route can currently speed up to 140 kilometers per hour. Also, travel time on this route stands at about 3 hours and 20 minutes, one hour less compared with the road travel time between the same two provincial capitals,” Islamic Republic of Iran Railways' official, Rouhollah Taqizadeh, was quoted as saying by IRNA.

He added that at present, one train will be transporting passengers on this route and if the number of passengers increases, another train will be added to manage travels more efficiently. The new train service can currently carry 300-320 passengers. 

The 267-kilometer-long railroad connecting the capital city Tehran and the central provincial capital Hamedan was inaugurated on May 6, 2017, in the presence of President Hassan Rouhani and the ex-minister of roads and urban development, Abbas Akhoundi.

Construction work began on the 9.7-trillion-rial ($260 million) project in 2001 with the aim of connecting Hamedan to Iran’s national rail network, the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development’s news service reported.