Construction going on at Ben Thanh Station on metro line No 1. (Photo: VNA)HoChi Minh City (VNS/VNA) — Ho Chi Minh City’s metro line No 1between Ben Thanh Market in District 1 and Suoi Tien Theme Park in Thu Duc citywill start trial operations by December 31 this year.
Nguyen Quoc Hien, deputy head of the HCM City ManagementAuthority for Urban Railways (MAUR), said recently that construction of theline is 89 per cent complete.
The underground portion on Le Loi Street and in front of Ben ThanhMarket will be finished by April 30, restoring normalcy to traffic flows and thedowntown landscape, he said, adding MAUR and its contractors are striving tobegin commercial operation by next year.
Le Hoa Binh, standing vice chairman of the city People'sCommittee, said meetings would be held every two weeks to assess the progress,quality and safety of the project and resolve any difficulties that arise.
The 19.7km line is expected to carry a 2.05 billion USD pricetag.
It will have 14 stations, three underground and 11 elevated, andrun through districts 1 and Binh Thanh, Thu Duc city and neighbouring Binh Duongprovince.
MAUR has received 11 trains and will take delivery of theremaining six this year. All the 17 will have 147 seats and a capacity of 930passengers.
They can run at speeds of up to 110km per hour on the elevatedsection and 80km underground.
The line is the first of the at least six to be built in thecity.
The city will begin construction of line No 2 between Ben ThanhMarket and Tham Luong Depot in District 12 this year.
It will cost 47.89 trillion (2.1 billion USD), withfunding from official development assistance sources and reciprocal capitalfrom the city.
Scheduled to be completed in 2026, it will belinked with line No 1./.
