Metro Line 1 Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien officially operates

This morning, December 22, the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Management Board (MAUR) held an official announcement ceremony for metro line 1 (Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien).

At exactly 7:40 a.m., the official opening ceremony of metro line 1 began.

Attending the ceremony were Secretary of the City Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai. In addition, there were representatives of the Embassy and Consulate General of Japan; representatives of ministries, branches, units of Ho Chi Minh City and many people.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Bui Xuan Cuong, Vice Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, said that today, metro line No. 1 officially came into operation, marking an important milestone in the history of public transport development in Ho Chi Minh City.

The opening of Metro Line No. 1 not only marks a turning point in the development of the city's urban transport infrastructure but also symbolizes the close friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and Japan after many years of continuous efforts, overcoming many difficulties and challenges to build and complete the project.

“The Metro Line 1 project is officially put into operation; we are starting a new chapter on the journey of developing modern urban transport. Every citizen and tourist will actively support, use and contribute to maintaining and maximizing the efficiency of this urban railway line so that the metro is not only a means of transport but also a cultural symbol, a bridge between people and humane stories. Metro Line 1 will become a modern public space, a part of the vibrant urban culture of Ho Chi Minh City, a place for new beginnings, creative inspiration and memorable moments”, Mr. Cuong emphasized.

Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam ITO Naoki said that this urban railway line will create a major shift in people's means of transportation from cars and motorbikes to urban railways.

According to Mr. ITO Naoki, in the "new era" with the goal of achieving high economic growth focusing on key areas such as strategic infrastructure, digital transformation, green transformation and high-quality human resource development, Vietnam will have more opportunities to cooperate with foreign enterprises.

"The success of metro line 1 will be a lever to develop other projects and works," ITO Naoki emphasized.

Metro No. 1 Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien is the first urban railway line put into operation, approved by the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee in 2007, and started construction in 2012.

Metro Line 1 runs through District 1, Binh Thanh, Thu Duc City (Ho Chi Minh City) and Di An City (Binh Duong) with a total investment of VND43,700 billion. The length is 19.7km (2.6km underground and 17.1km above ground) with 14 stations and the 20-hectare Long Binh Depot in Thu Duc City.

14 stations including 3 underground stations (Ben Thanh, City Theater, Ba Son) and 11 above-ground stations (Van Thanh Park, Tan Cang, Thao Dien, An Phu, Rach Chiec, Phuoc Long, Binh Thai, Thu Duc, High-tech Park, National University, Suoi Tien Bus Station).

From 10am today, 14 stations will open to welcome passengers. This event marks the 17-year process of approval and 12 years of construction, when metro line 1 officially starts serving the people, an important milestone in the history of transportation and urban development in Ho Chi Minh City.

In the first month, Ho Chi Minh City will implement a policy of free metro fares along with 17 electric bus routes connecting stations. After that, passengers will buy tickets at the price of 40,000 VND/person/ticket/day, with no limit on the number of trips per day, and a 3-day ticket price is 90,000 VND.

Monthly ticket price: 300,000 VND/person/ticket/month; students: 150,000 VND (50% discount).

The fare for cash payment is from 7,000-20,000 VND depending on the route; the fare for non-cash payment is from 6,000-19,000 VND depending on the route. Passengers who are disabled, elderly... are exempted from tickets according to Ho Chi Minh City's policy...

Metro Line 1 has 17 trains longer than 60 m, each train has 3 cars, capacity of 930 passengers (147 seated passengers and 783 standing passengers).

In the first phase, there will be an average of 9 trains operating each day, running from 5am to 10pm with about 200 trips. The frequency of each trip is 8-12 minutes; the journey from Suoi Tien terminal station (near the new Mien Dong bus station, Thu Duc city) to Ben Thanh, district 1, is about 30 minutes. The train stops at each station on the route for about 30 seconds.