With the start of the school year and the reopening of schools and universities, Tehran's public transportation network once again faces a significant increase in travel volume; a situation that can lead to increased congestion and waiting times for passengers. This year, this issue has gained more importance as the Tehran Metro is currently providing services for free, which can affect the demand for travel on this network.
Metro's Measures to Reduce Congestion
Preparing stations and increasing fleet readiness for the busy days of October is among the actions that the Tehran Metro operating company pursues every year before the start of the school year. Reducing the interval between train movements, using floating fleet on busy lines, and returning some overhauled wagons to the operational cycle are among the strategies that have been put in place to manage congestion.
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Planning for Travel Management
Mostafa Mousapahandi, Deputy for Social and Cultural Affairs of the Tehran Metro operating company, stated about the metro's plan to manage the increase in travel during October: "Every year, to welcome October, we start planning about three months in advance, and during this time various actions are taken to prepare the stations."
He added: "From cleaning and preparing the stations, seats, and prayer rooms to platforms, lighting, and escalators, all these matters are taken into account for the start of the school year."
Mousapahandi continued: "In the past year, we have tried to reduce the headway of trains despite the fact that the fleet contracted from China has not yet arrived at the metro, and alongside that, we have the national train."
The Deputy for Social and Cultural Affairs of the Tehran Metro operating company pointed to a special program for peak travel hours: "Based on a daily and intelligent monitoring of the network, we have a floating fleet; meaning that if, for example, Line 1 is busier at a certain hour, the fleet is added to that line, and at another time when Line 4 is busier, this fleet will be injected into that line."
He added: "We aim to lower the headway with these programs to create the least amount of congestion and discomfort for passengers."
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