First metro line in Ho Chi Minh City after decades of delays
First metro line in Ho Chi Minh City after decades of delays
Twelve years after the groundbreaking ceremony, Vietnam's largest city, Ho Chi-Minh-Stadt, inaugurated her first subway line. Hundreds of people stood in line on Sunday to be among the first passengers to use Metro-Line 1, as the State news agency Viet Nam News reported.
Details on the new subway line
The line extends from the busy Ben-Thanh market in the city center to the Soui Tien themed park on the northwestern edge of the city and comprises a total of 14 stops-three underground and eleven above ground. This opening takes place after years of delays caused by various factors such as Covid-19 pandemic and financial restrictions.
an important milestone for the city
"After 17 years of planning and 12 years of construction, the inauguration of this subway line today marks an important milestone for improving public transport in the city," said the BUI Xuan Cuong city official at the opening ceremony.
less traffic through the new subway system
The Vietnamese government hopes that the subway system will help reduce traffic in the notoriously overloaded city, which houses around 9 million inhabitants. A total of eight lines are planned, although the government has not announced any opening data for the other lines.
costs and ticket offers
To encourage travelers, the tickets are free of charge in the first month and there will be free connections to new electric lines connected to the subway stations. After that, the tickets cost between 7,000 and 20,000 dong (27 to 79 cents), depending on the route. Older and disabled passengers travel free of charge, while students and travelers who use e-payment apps can benefit from discounts. The trains run daily between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m.
competition for the transport infrastructure
The Vietnam's transport infrastructure is the area of competition between Japan and China, both of whom are striving to strengthen their influence throughout Asia. Although Japan first intervened in the project and invested a total of 43.7 trillion Vietnamese Dong ($ 1.72 billion) in the HO-Chi-Minh City project, the system of the capital Hanoi supported by China first opened its subway line in 2021. The construction of the second subway line in Hanoi should begin in 2025.
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