12-7-2023 (HANOI) Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City have promised that the city’s much-anticipated first metro line will be completed by the end of this year, with commercial operations to begin next year. The Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR) announced that the line, which connects Ben Thanh Market in District 1 with Suoi Tien Theme Park in Thu Duc City, is over 95 per cent complete.
Key stations such as HCM City Opera House and Ba Son are expected to be finished in September. The tracks, which run underground between Ben Thanh and the Opera House and above the surface elsewhere, as well as the depot, are expected to be completed in October. The rest of the work will be completed by December.
However, the State-run HCM City Urban Railway Company No 1 (HURC1), which is responsible for operating the metro, faces a shortage of funding and personnel. The city People’s Committee has requested assistance from the Ministry of Finance to resolve the financial issue for the company, which has been unable to pay salaries since August 2021 and owes its employees VNĐ6.7 billion.
