VIETNAM: The western 8·5 km section of Hanoi metro Line 3 between Nhon and Cau Giay opened with the launch of free demonstration services on August 8. The official inauguration of Hanoi’s second metro line is scheduled for September.
The elevated line has eight stations. There is an initial service of six trains/hour, taking 13 min.
Alstom is the integrated systems supplier and consortium leader for the line, which has a design capacity of 23 900 passengers/direction/h. It has delivered a fleet of 10 four-car Metropolis trainsets and Urbalis 400 communications-based train control, as well as equipment for Nhon depot and 750 V DC third-rail power supplies in partnership with Colas Rail.
Some construction began in 2010, but stalled pending a 2017 finance package and resolution of land purchase difficulties.
A 4 km underground extension east of Cau Giay is scheduled to open in 2027, including Hanoi’s first sub-surface stations. The alignment will descend a ramp to reach Kim Ma station from where a pair of bored tunnels will run to the city’s main railway station with two intermediate stops. One is an interchange at Cát Linh with elevated Line 2A which opened in November 2021.
The first of a pair of Herrenknecht tunnel boring machines was launched from Kim Ma station box on July 30. They will bore towards the railway station at up to 10 m/day, and are due to complete tunnelling in about 16 months. Boxes for the other stations have already been excavated, with total construction on the underground contract package now 43% complete.
