| Trans-Iranian Railway | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Native name | راهآهن سراسری ایران |
| Termini | |
| History | |
| Opened | 1938 |
| Last extension | 1963 |
| Completed | 1938 |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
| Official name | Trans-Iranian Railway |
| Location | Iran |
| Criteria | Cultural: (ii)(iv) |
| Reference | 1585 |
| Inscription | 2021 (44th Session) |
The Trans-Iranian Railway (Persian: راهآهن سراسری ایران, romanized: Râh-âhan Sarâsari Irân) was a major railway building project started in Pahlavi Iran in 1927 and completed in 1938, under the direction of the then-Iranian monarch Reza Shah. It was entirely built with indigenous capital, and links the capital Tehran with Bandar Shahpur (now: Bandar-e Emam Khomeyni) on the Persian Gulf in the south and Bandar Shah (now: Bandar Torkaman) on the Caspian Sea in the north, via Ahvaz and Ghom.[1] In 1961, under Reza Shah's son Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, it was extended from Bandar Shah to a new terminus in Gorgan.[2] During the land reforms of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in 1963, as part of the "White Revolution", the Trans-Iranian railway was extended to link Tehran to Mashhad, Tabriz and Isfahan.[3]
The original 1938 Bandar Shahpur-to-Bandar Shah route was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2021.[4]