Vietnam orders urgent study of Ho Chi Minh City's metro line No. 1 extension to Long Thanh airport

The directive was conveyed by the Government Office following instructions from Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha regarding an urban railway project linking the Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien metro line with the future airport in Dong Nai.

The existing Ben Thanh – Suoi Tien metro line, the first urban railway in Ho Chi Minh City, runs about 19.7 kilometers between Ben Thanh Market in the city’s central area and Suoi Tien Coach Station in Tang Nhon Phu Ward.

The planned route would extend the line to Dong Nai’s new administrative center before continuing to Long Thanh International Airport, which is now under construction.

The extension is expected to be implemented during the 2026–30 period.

The project is planned under a public–private partnership model and would run through both Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai, with the section in Dong Nai alone stretching about 41.4 kilometers.

Currently, transport connections between Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai rely mainly on road networks, and heavy dependence on highways could lead to congestion once Long Thanh International Airport becomes operational.

The study of the metro extension is expected to help form a high-capacity public transport corridor linking central Ho Chi Minh City with the eastern region, particularly Long Thanh International Airport, Vietnam's largest aviation infrastructure project currently under construction in Dong Nai.

If implemented, the urban railway line would enhance inter-regional transport connectivity between Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai, help shorten travel time between Tan Son Nhat and Long Thanh airports, and ease pressure on the existing road network.

Dong Nai authorities earlier submitted a proposal to the prime minister seeking approval to implement the extension under regulations for urgent construction works.

Under the government’s directive, the Dong Nai administration is tasked with coordinating with the Ministry of Construction and the Ministry of Finance, and other relevant agencies to propose special mechanisms for the project.

The proposed mechanisms will be compiled and submitted to the prime minister for consideration.

The government’s move to study the extension comes as authorities accelerate efforts to improve transport links to Long Thanh International Airport, a major national aviation infrastructure project under construction in Dong Nai.

In a notice issued by the Government Office on February 26, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh instructed the Airports Corporation of Vietnam and relevant agencies to complete the airport’s first phase by mid-2026.

The initial phase is expected to handle about 25 million passengers per year.

Apart from the proposed extension of metro line No. 1, Ho Chi Minh City has also studied three other options to connect the two airports, Tan Son Nhat and Long Thanh, through the region’s urban rail network.

These include a route linking metro line No. 2 with the Thu Thiem – Long Thanh railway, another combining metro line No. 6 with the same railway line, and a third option using metro line No. 4, metro line No. 2 and the Thu Thiem – Long Thanh railway.