The official groundbreaking ceremony to launch the construction of Iran’s first monorail system in the central city of Qom, some 150 kilometer south of the capital, Tehran, took place on Saturday August 1, 2009. The ceremony was attended by the governor general of the city, a number of Majlis (Iranian parliament) deputies, managing director of Qom Urban Railway Organization, Qom mayor, high-ranking provincial officials and representatives of Kayson Company and MAPNA Group.

The first stage of the monorail, comprising a 6 kilometer line with five stations, will link the north terminal of the city located at the Qom-Kashan toll way to the city’s grand mosque.

The first phase is expected to cost more than $120 million and is estimated to take 30 months to complete. The construction of Qom’s monorail system comes as part of Iran’s plans to ease traffic congestion in major cities.

The holy city of Qom, which lies near Tehran, is a significant destination for a large number of pilgrims. The project is aimed at improving services for the citizens and pilgrims visiting the city.