Vietnam’s second metro line draws students, elderlies on opening day

There were not many passengers present at the S8 Station on the opening day. Most of them were elderly people and students.

Hoang Minh Tan, 75, from Ba Dinh District, who took a ride on the opening day, said: “The stations and the trains are nice. They feel better than the Cat Linh-Ha Dong metro line.”

People get on a train of the Nhon-Hanoi Station metro line on Aug. 8, 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy

Cat Linh-Ha Dong in Hanoi was launched in November 2021 as the first metro line in Vietnam.

The second line covers a total distance of 12.5 km, featuring eight elevated stations and four underground ones. Only the elevated section of 8.5 km from Nhon to Cau Giay was launched on Thursday, while the underground portion of 4 km from Cau Giay to Hanoi Station is scheduled to complete in 2027.

Construction of the project began in 2009, with an initial completion target set for 2015. However, the line has hit multiple delays.

Nguyen Anh Cuong traveled all the way from Ha Nam Province that borders Hanoi to ride the Nhon metro train on Thursday morning.

Cuong said when he first came to the city to attend college 12 years ago, he and his friends had longed for the metro line to finish so that they could ride it to the city center.

“I’ve waited for so long, and when I learned that the train would be operational, I had to experience it to satisfy the wish I had in the past.”

Passengers aboard a train of the Nhon-Hanoi Station metro line on Aug. 8, 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy

During the initial three months, the metro line will operate daily from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., with trains running every 10 minutes. The schedule may be adjusted based on passenger demand.

The metro rides are free during the first 15 days of operation. Then tickets are set at VND8,000 (US$0.32) for a single ride, VND12,000 for a full-line ride, VND24,000 for a day pass, and VND200,000 for a monthly pass. Students receive a discounted monthly pass at VND100,000. Children under six, seniors over 60, people with disabilities, and certain prioritized groups can ride the trains for free.

Tickets are circular, resembling coins. Passengers scan these at the gates to enter and place them in scanners to exit the train. Tickets are valid for 20 minutes after purchase, and passengers must “update” them if they do not board the train within this timeframe.

The metro line consists of 10 trains, each capable of reaching a maximum speed of 80 kph. Every train has four cars, with each car accommodating up to 236 passengers. A total of 353 employees manage the line’s operations.

A total of 36 public bus lines run along the Nhon-Hanoi Station metro route.