Hanoi’s second metro line delayed again to 2027

In a decision issued by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Tuesday, the completion of the capital’s second metro line has been pushed back five years later than previously planned.

The decision was in line with a recent proposal by the Hanoi People’s Committee to postpone the project’s completion date.

The total investment for the project is now over VND34.8 trillion, with VND3.9 trillion more coming from the city budget, and VND2 trillion less coming from Official Development Assistance (ODA).

The committee will be responsible for the accuracy of information and statistics regarding the project, including the resolution of potential issues, the decision stated.

Hanoi will also be responsible for the delay’s extra costs, which will be paid for with funds from the city’s 2021-2025 public investment plan.

If the project fails to meet its new deadline by the end of 2025, the capital city would have to utilize other sources of funding to complete the project.

In April, the Hanoi People’s Committee asked the prime minister to increase the Nhon-Hanoi station metro project’s budget and push back its completion date, citing land clearance difficulties, issues with contractors and the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The metro line’s elevated section, which was previously scheduled for completion at the end of last year, is now slated to open in August of this year.

By the end of April, the project was 76.5% completed, with the elevated section 99% completed, and the underground section 33% completed, according to the Hanoi Metropolitan Railway Management Board.

The Nhon-Hanoi Station metro line spans 12.5 km, with eight elevated stations and four underground stations. The line’s 15-ha depot is in Nhon Street in Nam Tu Liem District.

The project began construction in 2009 and has since undergone several delays.

The capital city’s first metro line, also the country’s first, Cat Linh-Ha Dong, started running in November 2021.