VIETNAM: The Hanoi People’s Committee held a groundbreaking ceremony on October 9 to launch the construction of metro Line 2.
Backed by the city administration, the Line 2 project is separate from Line 2A, the capital’s first metro line which was developed by the national government and opened in November 2021.
The 11·5 km initial section of Line 2 will run from Tran Hung Dao in the city centre to Nam Thang Long in the north. There will be three elevated and seven underground stations, while transit-oriented development is planned around the depot at Xuan Dinh.
Funding for the 35·6bn dong project is coming from the city budget as well as loans from Japan International Co-operation Agency loans; guests at the groundbreaking event included the Japanese ambassador.
Opening is planned for 2029. Future plans include extensions at both ends of Line 2, including a branch to Non Bai International Airport, which would take the total route-length to 42 km with 32 stations.
Head of the Hanoi Metropolitan Railway Management Board Nguyen Cao Minh said the line would help reduce congestion, improve the environment and quality of life and contribute to a civilised, dynamic, green and sustainable capital city.
A ceremony is scheduled for December 19 to launch construction of the 61·9bn dong metro Line 5, which will run for 38 km from Van Cao in the city centre to Hoa Lac in the western suburbs.
- Subscribers can read more about metro projects in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in the October 2024 issue of Railway Gazette International.
