Ho Chi Minh City department moots plan to trial retail services at metro stations

The proposal, sent to Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway No. 1 Co. Ltd., which operates the metro line, follows a joint review with relevant agencies and suggestions from Vietnamese retailer Saigon Co.op.

It seeks to integrate retail services within station areas to enhance passenger convenience while boosting consumer spending and driving economic growth.

According to the department, such integration would give commuters easy access to shopping, payment, and entertainment options, contributing to the city’s vision of a modern retail landscape linked with public transport.

The model draws on international examples from Japan, Singapore, and South Korea, where metro stations often double as shopping hubs.

As Ho Chi Minh City plans to expand its metro network to 335 kilometers by 2035, retail spaces around transit infrastructure are expected to become key economic zones.

Based on Saigon Co.op’s suggestions, the department recommended that the metro operator include the retail pilot in the city's broader metro infrastructure exploitation plan, to be submitted to the municipal administration for approval.

Metro line No. 1 spans approximately 19.7 kilometers from Ben Thanh Station in the city center to Suoi Tien Coach Station, covering 14 stations.

It includes 2.6 kilometers of underground rail and 17.1 kilometers of elevated track, built at a total cost of US$1.8 billion.

Construction on the metro line project commenced in 2012, and the line began commercial operations on December 22, 2024.

The line has 17 Japanese-manufactured trains with each being 62 meters long and able to carry 930 passengers, including 147 seating and 783 standing riders.

In mid-July, Municipal Theater Station was officially connected to Union Square shopping center via Exit 4, marking a major step toward transit-oriented development. 

Passengers can now walk directly from the metro into the underground mall without having to surface.