Over $14bn planned for metro network linking Ho Chi Minh City, Long Thanh airport

Construction at the mammoth airport in Dong Nai is continuing around the clock, with commercial operations scheduled to begin on December 1.

Along the transport corridor from Tan Son Nhat International Airport through Ben Thanh Market and Thu Thiem to Long Thanh airport, Ho Chi Minh City already launched construction of the Ben Thanh - Tham Luong and Ben Thanh - Thu Thiem sections of metro line No. 2.

The Thu Thiem - Long Thanh metro line is currently being studied by Dai Quang Minh Real Estate Investment Corporation.

Construction is expected to begin in September.

Another metro corridor will run through the Phu Huu area, combining the first phase of metro line No. 6 from Tan Son Nhat to Phu Huu with the Thu Thiem-Long Thanh metro line.

Groundbreaking for the first phase of metro line No. 6 stretching 22.9 kilometers is slated for December.

Meanwhile, the third corridor will extend metro line No. 1 beyond its current terminus.

Metro line No. 1, the first of its kind in Ho Chi Minh City, stretches nearly 20 kilometers from Ben Thanh Station in the city center to Suoi Tien Coach Station.

Dong Nai authorities had previously approved the investment plan for an extension from Suoi Tien Coach Station to the municipal administrative center and Long Thanh International Airport.

The project has been proposed to the government for implementation under emergency procedures.

The Dong Nai administration has also urged relevant departments and agencies to accelerate land clearance and compensation processes while preparing to select investors.

Under the current planning, Long Thanh International Airport will become the country's best-connected airport by rail and metro links.

These include the North-South high-speed railway, the Thu Thiem-Long Thanh metro line, and the extended metro line No. 1.

While the future high-speed railway is expected to primarily serve interprovincial passengers with lower service frequency and higher fares, the two metro lines will offer more affordable tickets and more frequent departures.

According to operational plans, passengers traveling from Thu Thiem Station to Long Thanh International Airport on the dedicated metro line will complete the journey in some 31 minutes during the initial operating phase.

Future coastal connection planned

Beyond these routes, Ho Chi Minh City is also studying metro line No. 3 to connect Vung Tau, Ba Ria and Phu My with the airport in Dong Nai City.

The project would become the first metro corridor linking the international airport and the coastline.

Express metro services are projected to complete the journey between Vung Tau and Long Thanh airport in around 30 minutes, while regular services would take some 50 minutes.

The projects would establish Long Thanh as a major multimodal transport hub integrating expressways, metro lines, and the high-speed railway.

The integrated transport network is expected to strengthen Long Thanh's position not only as Vietnam's largest airport but also as the country's largest multimodal transportation hub.

According to a railway expert, a typical metro line currently requires between four and five years to complete under Vietnam's existing engineering capabilities.

However, maintaining the planned construction schedule will depend on resolving implementation bottlenecks promptly as the projects move forward.

Long Thanh airport, which broke ground in January 2021, is forecast to serve around 350,000 passengers in December, with annual passenger traffic projected to reach 8.76 million in 2027 and more than 26.2 million by 2030.