The construction of HCM City’s first Metro Line, from Ben Thanh market to Suoi Tien amusement park, officially got underway on Tuesday. The 20-km line will cost a total of over 820 million dollars, of which 83 percent comes from Japanese official development assistance. Metro Line No.1 is expected to be finished and in operation by early 2018. It will become the backbone of public transport in HCM City, carrying around 620 thousand passengers a day by 2020. At the ground-breaking ceremony, the Chairman of HCM City People’s Committee Le Hoang Quan said: “To successfully build our first metro line will create an important premise for carrying out similar future projects. It will motivate the country to complete the public transport network in general and the railway network in particular, helping to spur on the local economy and improve the standard of living for people in the city”

Work starts on Ho Chi Minh City’s first metro line

After announcing the start of the project, the Minister of Transport Dinh La Thang, asked for the project to be high quality and completed on schedule: “As it is our first line, we must ensure adequate management, prompt land clearance, a steady rate of progress, and environmental awareness. The project’s success will also symbolize Vietnam and Japan’s strategic partnership.”

Metro Line No.1 will have a positive impact on areas along the line including District 2, 9, and Thu Duc as well as Di An District in Binh Duong province, which will reduce the traffic congestion in the east of the city.