Trans-Iranian Railway that reaches a length of 1400 km has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. The UN body accepted Trans-Iranian Railway during the 44th session of the World Heritage Committee, which will be running through July 31 in China’s Fuzhou.
The railway can be regarded as a turning point for comprehensive developments in Iran. These developments include a wide spectrum of various economical, commercial, social, cultural, and even political aspects in a sensitive and important period of contemporary world history.
Under the Reza Pahlavi regime, the process of moving towards modernism gained momentum and the railway became the main pedestal of development in Iran. Consequently, the 1394 kilometers long Trans-Iranian Railway was built with a width of 1435mm and 90 working stations along its route.
It links the capital Tehran with Bandar Shahpur on the Persian Gulf in the south and Bandar Shah on the Caspian Sea in the north, via Ahvaz and Ghom. In 1961, it was extended from Bandar Shah to a new terminus in Gorgan. During the land reforms of Reza Shah in 1963 as part of the “White Revolution”, the Trans-Iranian railway was extended to link Tehran to Mashhad, Tabriz and Isfahan.
The original 1938 Bandar Shahpur-to-Bandar Shah route is now designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It starts at a point north of Torkaman port located southeast of the Caspian Sea. After going through Sari and Qaem-Shahr cities, the railway enters the mountainous region of Alborz through the high Firooz-kooh Pass which is linked with Tehran and Varamin Plain by numerous bridges and tunnels.
Further on after crossing the flatlands of Qom and Arak, the Trans-Iranian Railway penetrates Zagros highlands in Lorestan Province and passing through a large number of tunnels and bridges reaches Andimeshk situated in the low Kuzestan Plain.
Finally extending to the vicinity of Dezful, Ahwaz, and its grand bridge on Karoon, the Trans-Iranian Railway is divided into two branches ending separately at Khoram-Shahr and Imam-Khomeini ports on the Persian Gulf.
The first lines passed through formidable mountains. Long stretches have gradients of up to 1 in 36 and hillclimbing techniques such as railway spirals. The Three Golden Lines (Se Khat Tala) spiral is on the Mazandaran branch in the Sewatcow (Savadkuh) County of Mazanderan just a few kilometers south of Veresk Bridge.
The line ascends or descends in a short distance by passing three times in the same area at different heights. Trains descend towards Sari or ascend in the opposite direction by going through the Dowgal twin tunnels. Its highest point is at Arak, 2,220 m above sea level. Near the Veresk bridge is a memorial structure built in memory of all the construction workers who lost their lives in the course of building the bridge and its nearby tunnels.
UNESCO says in its recognition, “The Trans-Iranian Railway connects the Caspian Sea in the northeast with the Persian Gulf in the southwest crossing two mountain ranges as well as rivers, highlands, forests and plains, and four different climatic areas. Started in 1927 and completed in 1938, the 1,394-kilometre-long railway was designed and executed in a successful collaboration between the Iranian government and 43 construction contractors from many countries.
“The railway is notable for its scale and the engineering works it required to overcome steep routes and other difficulties. Its construction involved extensive mountain cutting in some areas, while the rugged terrain in others dictated the construction of 174 large bridges, 186 small bridges and 224 tunnels, including 11 spiral tunnels. Unlike most early railway projects, construction of the Trans-Iranian Railway was funded by national taxes to avoid foreign investment and control.”
World Heritage sites can be examples of outstanding natural beauty or architecture, or they can be important geologically or ecologically or keys to human culture and tradition.
Iran’s railway is the 25th site in the Islamic Republic added to the list. The Lut Desert and Hyrcanian Forests are the only two natural Iranian sites named.
The World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization announced the additions to the World Heritage List after an online meeting in Fuzhou, China.
DO YOU KNOW! During the course of the World War II, Reza Shah was asked by Hitler to blow up all tunnels and bridges, including the Veresk Bridge, on Iran’s railway lines in order to delay the transfer of goods and reinforcement troops to the north for the Russians. He furthermore promised to replace and reconstruct all of such demolished structures following the Germans’ victory in the war. Reza Shah rejected the request.
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