Iran-Made Trains to go to Metro After 25 Years

February 21, 2025

The Tehran Wagon Manufacturing Co. has received approval to build cars for the Tehran Metro with 85% domestic content. Some Metro cars have previously been made in Iran, but most have come from China since the Metro started operating in March 1999. The previous Iranian-made cars apparently didn’t work out and were discontinued.

The decision comes after 1- 1/2 years of testing of a prototype developed under the National Train project that was launched in 2019 to increase the scale of localization in transport manufacturing. The government has invested $30 million in the project, which is expected to support 12,000 jobs and reduce costs by $720,000 per car.

MAPNA is to supply 42 cars under a contract signed in September 2024. Braking systems and automatic doors are to be produced by Tivan Termez Raili. The Tehran Metro is estimated to need 1,500 cars, and significant potential demand from other cities is envisaged.

Tehran Wagon can produce one car per day, so it would take four years to fill the current needs of the Tehran Metro.