Vietnam’s second metro line to start running Thursday

The Hanoi Metropolitan Railway Management Board (MRB) announced on Tuesday that trains will start running at 8 a.m. on Thursday, and from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on subsequent days, with trains arriving every 10 minutes. Free rides will be offered for the first 15 days.

Nguyen Cao Minh, the board’s director, confirmed that the construction and trial runs for the elevated section from Nhon Station to Cau Giay Station have been completed, allowing it to commence commercial operations.

The underground section from S9 to S12 stations is currently 43.5% complete, with plans to finish by December 2027.

Tran Sy Thanh, chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee, experienced a train ride from Nhon Station to Cau Giay Station on Tuesday.

Hanoi is presenting a plan for a 14-line urban railway network to the central government. Thanh described the Nhon-Hanoi Station metro line as a “once in a millennium” opportunity to acquire the technology and expertise needed for future major transportation projects.

Vu Hong Truong, general director of Hanoi Metro and manager of the Nhon-Hanoi Station metro line, stated that the company has received 10 trains for the line and will initially operate six. Personnel will be shared between the Nhon-Hanoi Station line and the Cat Linh-Ha Dong line, he added.

The Cat Linh-Ha Dong line in Hanoi started commercial run in November 2021 as the first metro line launched in Vietnam.

The Nhon-Hanoi Station metro line spans 12.5 km, featuring eight elevated stations and four underground ones. The elevated section, from Nhon to Cau Giay, covers 8.5 km, while the underground section, from Cau Giay to Hanoi Station, stretches 4 km.

The project began construction in 2009 with an initial completion target of 2015. After several delays, the elevated section will start operation this month, and the entire line is expected to be completed by 2027.