Hanoi’s 2nd metro draws 390,000 passengers in first week

To put this in perspective, this was 2.3 times the number of people using the Cat Linh – Ha Dong line, also in Hanoi, during the same period.

Between Aug. 8 and 15 trains made 200 trips daily on the new route.

The number of passengers soared to 115,000 on Aug. 11.

The Cat Linh–Ha Dong conducted 930 trips to carry over 165,000 passengers during its first week of operation three years ago.

Since it is free of charge, many people are trying the route just for the experience after watching it being built over 15 years, Vu Hong Truong, general director of Hanoi Metro Company, said Thursday.

Many are making several trips in a day, he said.

The Nhon – Hanoi Station route, the second to begin operation in Hanoi, is 12.5 km long and has four underground stations and eight above-ground.

The project commenced in 2009 and was initially planned for completion in 2015. However, after several delays, the elevated section began commercial operations on Aug. 8, with the underground section and the entire line expected to be completed by 2027.

It has 10 trains that can reach a top speed of 80 kph and carry 950 passengers.

The Cat Linh – Ha Dong line, Vietnam’s first metro, began commercial operation in November 2021.

Fares are similar on both lines, with a single trip costing VND8,000 (US$0.32), monthly passes priced at VND200,000 and a discounted rate of VND100,000 per month for students.

However, the full-route ticket and day pass on the Cat Linh – Ha Dong are higher, at VND15,000 and VND30,000, respectively, due to its longer distance (13 km).

The respective fares for the Nhon – Hanoi Station are VND12,000 and VND24,000.

Children under six, war veterans, people aged over 60, and those with disabilities can travel for free.