TEHRAN – The railway linking Iran’s Tehran to Turkey’s Van was launched on Sunday with a train leaving the Iranian capital for the eastern Turkish city.
The first passenger train left Tehran for Van in eastern Turkey earlier on Sunday for the first time after a 5-year hiatus. 
Earlier on January 29, 2025, Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani told reporters that according to a report by the Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development, the Tehran-Van passenger train will be launched at the beginning of the Iranian new year, starting on March 20. 
According to a statement by the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways on January 7, 2025, following numerous meetings and bilateral meetings between the CEOs of Iran and Turkey railways, the Tehran-Van passenger train would be launched soon.