During the trial period, the trains will operate similarly to official commercial operations, with a frequency of 4 minutes and 30 seconds per trip.
The personnel involved include train drivers, dispatchers at the control center (OCC) and station staff, a total of 71 people per shift, with 2 shifts per day.
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Management Board, the trial operation period lasts from October 1 to November 17.
The 47 test scenarios not only include normal operating situations, but also take place in emergency situations such as fire, power failure, flooding, or signal loss in different areas along the entire route, from elevated sections to underground sections.
The trial operation will take place in two phases. The first phase will be led by NJPT consultants from Japan, while the second phase will be undertaken by staff from the Urban Railway One Member Company Limited No. 1 (HURC1).
Previously, agreements were signed with contractor Hitachi and construction partners to use the equipment for training and testing purposes.
In parallel with the trial operation, experts from the Joint Venture of Bureau Veritas (France) and TEDI (Vietnam) will monitor and evaluate the safety of the system, and test the proficiency of HURC1 staff in emergency situations.
From November 18 to November 30, safety assessment reports will be completed and submitted to the Railway Authority for appraisal according to regulations.
After that, the State Acceptance Council under the Ministry of Construction will conduct acceptance and approve the project for commercial operation, expected in December 2024.
Metro Line 1 has a total investment of more than 43,700 billion VND, nearly 20km long from Long Binh Depot (Thu Duc City) to Ben Thanh Station (District 1).
The project started in 2012, with the original plan to complete it after 6 years, but the schedule was delayed many times. Currently, Metro Line 1 has reached more than 98% of the volume.
Previously, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee approved the policy on the operation plan of Metro Line 1 proposed by HURC1 Company.
In the first phase, lasting six months from when Metro Line 1 enters commercial operation, trains will operate from 5am to 10pm daily with 200 trips.
During rush hour, trains will run every 8 minutes with 9 trains. During the rest of the time, trains will run every 12 minutes with 6 trains.
Phase two will be implemented after the completion of phase one. The train will operate from 5am to 11:30pm daily with a total of 276 trips from Monday to Friday.
During peak hours, trains will run every 5 minutes, while during normal and off-peak hours they will run every 10 and 15 minutes, respectively. During weekends and holidays, the number of trips will be reduced to 226, with train frequencies adjusted accordingly.
During the first 3 months of Metro Line 1's commercial operation, Ho Chi Minh City plans to spend the budget to support 100% of ticket prices for all train passengers and on 17 connecting bus routes.
