A decade after breaking ground, Vietnam’s largest city has unveiled its first mass rapid transit line.
According to state news agency Viet Nam News, hundreds of people lined up to be among the first passengers to board the Metro Line 1 when it opened in Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday.
The line stretches from the busy Ben Thanh Market in the city center to the Soui Tien theme park beyond the northwestern border, with 14 stops – three underground and 11 above.
According to state media, the opening comes after years of delays caused by, among other things, the Covid-19 pandemic and financial constraints.
“After 17 years of planning and 12 years of construction, today’s inauguration of this metro line marks an important milestone in the progress of the city’s public transportation,” city official Bui Xuan Cuong said at a ceremony to inaugurate the line.
Vietnam’s government has said it hopes the metro system will help reduce traffic in the notoriously busy city, home to about 9 million people.
People queue as they arrive at a metro station in Ho Chi Minh City on December 22, 2024. -Nhac Nguyen/AFP/Getty Images
Eight lines are planned, but the government has not announced opening dates for the others.
As an incentive for travelers, tickets are free for the first month and there will be free connections to new electric buses that connect to the metro stops.
After that, tickets cost 7,000 to 20,000 dong (27 to 79 cents) depending on the distance, while elderly and disabled passengers can travel for free. Students and travelers using e-payment apps get discounts.
The trains run daily between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m
A train from Line 1 of the HCMC Metro passes residential buildings in Ho Chi Minh City. -Nhac Nguyen/AFP/Getty Images
Vietnam’s transit infrastructure has been the scene of competition between Japan and China, both of which are keen to strengthen their influence across Asia.
Although Japan joined in first and ultimately poured VND43.7 trillion ($1.72 billion) into the Ho Chi Minh City project, the capital Hanoi’s Chinese-backed system beat it out with the opening of its first metro line in 2021. The second metro line should start in 2025.
Earlier this year, the Vietnamese government announced ambitious plans to build two high-speed lines with China, the country’s largest trading partner.
There are also plans to connect Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City with high-speed trains.
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