Trans-Iranian Railway is now a Unesco World Heritage Site

[Adlington]

From the Unesco WHS site:

The Trans-Iranian Railway connects the Caspian Sea in the northeast with the Persian Gulf in the southwest crossing two mountain ranges as well as rivers, highlands, forests and plains, and four different climatic areas. Started in 1927 and completed in 1938, the 1,394-kilometre-long railway was designed and executed in a successful collaboration between the Iranian government and 43 construction contractors from many countries. The railway is notable for its scale and the engineering works it required to overcome steep routes and other difficulties. Its construction involved extensive mountain cutting in some areas, while the rugged terrain in others dictated the construction of 174 large bridges, 186 small bridges and 224 tunnels, including 11 spiral tunnels.

The gallery, from the same site, is worth visiting for stunning photos of the line.

 

[Iskra]

It does look excellent. Hopefully one day it will be more politically open to visitors from the West.

Are any other railways Unesco World Heritage Sites?

 

[Adlington]

Are any other railways Unesco World Heritage Sites?

Yes:
Mountain Railways of India
Semmering Railway
Rhaetian Railway
and maybe more, but these were easy to find

 

[Alfonso]

Yes:
Mountain Railways of India
Semmering Railway
Rhaetian Railway
and maybe more, but these were easy to find

I think both Bernina Bahn and Albula line are, thought could be all of Rhaetian railway

 

[Gag Halfrunt]

The name of the inscribed property is "Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes".

Rhaetian Railway in the Albula / Bernina Landscapes, brings together two historic railway lines that cross the Swiss Alps through two passes. Opened in 1904, the Albula line in the north western part of the property is 67 km long. It features an impressive set of structures including 42 tunnels and covered galleries and 144 viaducts and bridges. The 61 km Bernina pass line features 13 tunnels and galleries and 52 viaducts and bridges. The property is exemplary of the use of the railway to overcome the isolation of settlements in the Central Alps early in the 20th century, with a major and lasting socio-economic impact on life in the mountains. It constitutes an outstanding technical, architectural and environmental ensemble and embodies architectural and civil engineering achievements, in harmony with the landscapes through which they pass.

 

[Adlington]

Two more railway-related world heritage sites:
Victoria Terminus, Bombay
M1 metro line, Budapest

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Two more railway-related world heritage sites:
Victoria Terminus, Bombay
M1 metro line, Budapest

Why that Metro Line?

 

[mailbyrail]

Budapest M1 metro line itself is not a world heritage site but is included in the listed site which is

Budapest, including the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue​

The detailed explanation and justification explains that the railway is part of the overall site
From 1872, the Avenue radically transformed the urban structure of Pest, together with the construction of the European continent’s first underground railway beneath it in 1893-6.

The same with Victoria Terminus Bombay which is part of

Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai​

 

[STEVIEBOY1]

Budapest M1 metro line itself is not a world heritage site but is included in the listed site which is

Budapest, including the Banks of the Danube, the Buda Castle Quarter and Andrássy Avenue​

The detailed explanation and justification explains that the railway is part of the overall site
From 1872, the Avenue radically transformed the urban structure of Pest, together with the construction of the European continent’s first underground railway beneath it in 1893-6.

The same with Victoria Terminus Bombay which is part of

Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai​

Oh I see what is meant, thank you.

 

[317666]

I think both Bernina Bahn and Albula line are, thought could be all of Rhaetian railway

Officially it's the Thusis - St Moritz section of the Albula and the full St Moritz - Tirano length of the Bernina.

 

[Taunton]

Unesco is a branch of the United Nations, and wholly subject to political manoeuvring rather than any intrinsic quality. While the Trans-Iranian does look to have some notable engineering, the first crossing of the USA or the Trans-Siberian would seem to have more merit.

A boring old 19th Century military barracks building in Helsinki, Finland, is a Unesco World Heritage site. Quite frankly it wouldn't get a look in elsewhere. But it was a "Buggins turn next" for Finland.

 

[Gag Halfrunt]

Only the government of the country in which a site is located can nominate it for consideration.

The first step a country must take is to make an ‘inventory' of its important natural and cultural heritage sites located within its boundaries. This ‘inventory' is known as the Tentative List, and provides a forecast of the properties that a State Party may decide to submit for inscription in the next five to ten years and which may be updated at any time. It is an important step since the World Heritage Committee cannot consider a nomination for inscription on the World Heritage List unless the property has already been included on the State Party's Tentative List.

 

[Calthrop]

The Trans-Iranian Railway was completed, as it happened, just in time for World War II: making it an invaluable link for the Soviet Union's allies to ship to it, at the Caspian Sea end, all manner of war-related material. These workings were handled largely, in the later part of the war, by American railwaymen then in the U.S. Army, with their professional skills being made use of. The line's steeply-graded and sinuous nature made it quite a nightmare to operate -- as was the case in wartime conditions -- up to and beyond halfway-safe capacity; especially using mostly steam traction: many fatal accidents, and plenty more terrifying near-misses. Thrilling work, no doubt, if that were one's drug of choice: but for many involved, not a happy experience.

The fancy calls up possible conversation between a couple of American ancients who took part in these World War II doings and lived to tell the tale, right up to the present day:

A: Say, Joe, you'll never guess what? Unesco have declared our little old Trans-Iranian Railroad a World Heritage Site.

B: Well if you ask me, Unesco needs its head examining.

 

[Taunton]

The Trans-Iranian was indeed a key Soviet Union WW2 supply route, analogous to the "Northern Convoys" to Murmansk and Archangel. The shipping route from the USA (and very substantially from British colonies in Africa, Australasia and India) evaded Japanese sea patrols coming out of Singapore etc, and went up The Gulf, trans-shipping to the railway across Iran to the Caspian, where Soviet shipping took it the length to, principally, what is now Atyrau in Kazakhstan (then Guriev in the Soviet Union), where it was put onto the Soviet Railways. Both military supplies and food.

The US military took to the early Alco RSD-1 Co-Co Road Switchers for this line. They cleared out the initial stocks from US railroads and then had Alco build many more. The British meanwhile sent over Stanier 8Fs. In a semi-desert country with little water and no coal it wasn't much of a contest! Some Alcos were sent on to the Soviet railway itself, regauged, and served then and for the next 40 years, forming the basis (both loco and the diesel engine) for many other Soviet designs.

Guriev was not far from Stalingrad (now Volgagrad), in mainstream Russia, and one of the aspects of the Stalingrad invasion and major battle was attempting to cross the Volga and get to break this supply line to the Soviet Union.

 

[Calthrop]

A tale that I've read, and love, of this scene in World War II: steam (8Fs?) double-headed train on the route -- control lost on steep downgrade, train ran away: rushed at horrendous speed through station with passing loop (mercifully, points not set against it) -- rushed on: three of the total four loco crew, jumped off. The fourth, fireman on one of the locos, wanted to do same, but -- "gut versus logic and reason" -- found that he didn't dare to do it: so stayed on the loco, expecting every moment to be his last. As things worked out, a little way after the station, the line started to go steeply uphill -- which checked the still-on-the-rails runaway, and ultimately brought it to a halt. Our reluctant hero, unable to believe his luck, set both locos into reverse; and at minimum speed, brought them and the train back into the station, and to a halt. He was subsequently offered a medal and promotion for his daring feat: touchingly, he tried to refuse, insisting on telling the true tale.

 

[westv]

Unesco is a branch of the United Nations, and wholly subject to political manoeuvring rather than any intrinsic quality. While the Trans-Iranian does look to have some notable engineering, the first crossing of the USA or the Trans-Siberian would seem to have more merit.

A boring old 19th Century military barracks building in Helsinki, Finland, is a Unesco World Heritage site. Quite frankly it wouldn't get a look in elsewhere. But it was a "Buggins turn next" for Finland.

Are you from Liverpool?

 

[Struner]

lol