In a formal ceremony on Wednesday, representatives from MAPNA Railway Construction & Development Company, Boland Paye Company, and Chinese firm CMC signed an MoU to deliver the eastern extension of Metro Line 4.
Under the agreement, the consortium will handle design, engineering, supply, installation, commissioning, and financing of the extension under an EPC+F structure. The MoU sets the framework for cooperation, paving the way for a main contract once legal approvals and negotiations conclude.
The project covers civil works and outfitting for 10 stations, three cross-tunnel ventilation shafts, a night-time parking facility, 6.7 km of NATM tunneling, and 11 km of tunnel equipment installation.
The estimated cost is €450 million. The consortium commits to provide 85 % of financing via external sources; the Tehran Municipality will cover the remaining 15 %. A joint finance and technical working group will form within two weeks of signing. The MoU is valid for nine months or until the final contract is signed.
This cooperation is expected to enhance public transit in Tehran, reduce pollution, improve movement in eastern districts, and support sustainable urban infrastructure. It exemplifies synergy between domestic engineering capacity and foreign investment.
Participants at the signing included Tehran’s Mayor Alireza Zakani, the deputy for transportation and traffic, the CEO of Tehran Metro, the CEO of MAPNA Mobility, heads of MAPNA Railway Construction & Development Company, Boland Paye Company, and a representative from CMC.
‘New model’ of contract
Addressing the meeting, Mayor Zakani said, “We regard the strengthening of metro lines as a key duty in this new municipal era.”
He recalled that over the past four years, the city has added 35 km of new metro lines. “Today we sign the final MoU for an 11 km extension tied to the eastern part of Line 4,” he added. He noted the extension will start in eastern Tehran and intersect with Lines 2 and 10.
“We have reached agreements with firms like MAPNA for Lines 8, 9, 10 and 11 as well,” he said.
He added: “In the MoU, the consortium offers a new model and capacity of contractor, which improves conditions for better cooperation and network completion.”
“The station design will follow Iranian-Islamic architectural principles,” he added.
‘Critical’ metro line
CEO of MAPNA Mobility, Ali Emam, said the consortium has a long history of working with Tehran Metro. He noted that MAPNA, through its rail subsidiary, has been involved in Tehran Metro’s Line 3 northern section and Line 6 since the early 1390s (2010s).
He added that the Line 6 project will be finalized in the coming months. “Ali Emam,” he said, praised the track records of Boland Paye and CMC. He expressed hope that construction starts soon.
In the ceremony, Mohsen Hormozi, deputy traffic and transport of Tehran, emphasized that the eastern section of Line 4 is among Tehran’s “most critical” metro lines.
He recalled that the project has been known since Ali Emam’s earlier tenure in metro management, and that with him now as CEO of MAPNA’s transport arm, execution will accelerate. He also said: “Line 6, with MAPNA’s cooperation, will reach its final stage this fall.”
MAPNA’s rail division brings together subsidiaries such as MAPNA Railway Construction & Development (MRC), MAPNA Locomotive (MLC), MAPNA Railway Maintenance & Operation (MRM) and others. It is active in metro, tram, and regional rail projects, and merges its rail transport, electrification, and battery businesses into a unified sector called MAPNA Mobility.
Regarding Line 6, MAPNA has already made significant contributions: it has been involved in design, engineering, procurement, and commissioning for Metro Line 6, including the establishment of a substation and rolling stock systems.
