Hanoi sets groundbreaking dates for 2 metro lines

The office of the Hanoi People’s Committee has issued a dispatch announcing a directive by vice-chairman of the municipal administration Duong Duc Tuan on the implementation of the second metro line (Nam Thang Long – Tran Hung Dao), and the fifth metro link (Van Cao – Hoa Lac) this year.

The 11.5 kilometer-long Nam Thang Long - Tran Hung Dao metro line is set to have seven underground stations and three elevated ones, at a total cost of VND35.6 trillion ($1.4 billion).

The metro will run from the lengthened Nguyen Van Huyen Street through Hoang Quoc Viet Street - Hoang Hoa Tham - Thuy Khue - Phan Dinh Phung - Hang Giay - Hang Duong - Hang Ngang - Hang Dao - Dinh Tien Hoang - Hang Bai Street, and end at an intersection with Tran Hung Dao Street.

Meanwhile, the Van Cao - Hoa Lac metro line will feature 6.5km of underground tracks, 2km of elevated tracks, and 30km at ground level, with a total of 21 stations -- six underground, one elevated, and 14 at ground level.

The project will carry a price tag of VND61.9 trillion ($2.3 billion), starting at Van Cao - Hoang Hoa Tham Intersection and ending at a location near Hoa Lac Interchange.

The second metro line is set to get off the ground on October 10, while work on the fifth line will begin on December 19, according to the dispatch.

The administration instructed relevant departments and units to urgently and seriously implement all necessary preparations.

The vice chairman directed the Hanoi Metropolitan Railway Management Board (MRB) to cooperate with relevant units and step up efforts to ensure the progress of the two metro projects.

The dispatch stressed that all parties must prioritize the timely launch of these projects to meet the city's transportation development goals.