VIETNAM: Ho Chi Minh City’s 19·7 km metro Line 1 opened for commercial service at 10.00 on December 22 with free travel for 30 days.
The southwest-to-northeast line runs from the Ben Thanh market in the city centre to the densely populated suburb of Suoi Tien, serving 14 stations. Only 2·6 km and three stations are underground, while the remaining 17·1 km and 11 stations have been built on an elevated alignment. Maximum speed is 110 km/h on the elevated section, and 80 km/h in the tunnels.
Works began in August 2012, and the line was originally scheduled to be completed in six years. Delays were partly due to a funding shortage from the Vietnamese government; multiple budget revisions needed to be re-approved by the national parliament.
Total project cost was US$1·7bn, exceeding the national government’s initial estimate of US$1·1bn.
The line was financed through Official Development Assistance and preferential loans provided by the Japan International Co-operation Agency.
Single tickets cost between 7 000 and 20 000 dong.
Operations
Initially, nine trainsets are operating each day, from 5.00 to 22.00 at 8 to 12 min headways. An end-to-end journey takes 29 min. Hitachi Rail has supplied 17 three-car aluminium-bodied trainsets, as well as track, electrical and mechanical systems under a under a ¥37bn contract signed in 2013. Each 61·5 m long trainset has a capacity of 930 passengers, 147 of which are seated.
- A feature article about metro projects in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City from the October 2024 issue of Railway Gazette International is available to subscribers.
