
The story behind the Trans-Iranian Railway, one of the greatest engineering feats of the 20th century
CNN
The spectacular Trans-Iranian Railway joined an illustrious club when it gained UNESCO World Heritage Site status in July. Here's why the accolade is richly deserved.
(CNN) — It may not be as long or as well-known as Russia's iconic Trans-Siberian Railway. But international recognition is long overdue for the 1,394-kilometer (865-mile) Trans-Iranian Railway. On July 25, the railway was one of 33 new sites awarded World Heritage status by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), joining world famous locations such as Venice, Machu Picchu in Peru, Yellowstone National Park in the US and Ecuador's Galapagos Islands. Linking the Persian Gulf with the Caspian Sea, the strategically important project was a relative latecomer in railway terms. It opened in 1938 after 11 years of hugely challenging construction.
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