Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee has just issued documents related to projects under the Ben Thanh - Can Gio railway line project.
Considering the proposal of the Department of Planning and Architecture, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee approved not to conduct architectural selection for works belonging to the route plan dossier, and the location of works according to the route of the Ben Thanh - Can Gio Metro project.
The non-organization of the competitive examination is carried out on the principle of ensuring the requirements for history, culture and aesthetics of the project, in accordance with the provisions of Article 28 of the Railway Law and the Investment Law of 2025.
The Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee assigned the Department of Planning and Architecture to preside over and coordinate with investors and related units to unify the design plan, summarize reports, and submit them to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee for consideration and decision.
Previously, the Ben Thanh - Can Gio Metro project was grounded on December 19, 2025, deployed in the form of a BT contract (build - transfer).
The metro line is more than 54 km long, built with a standard double track gauge of 1,435 mm, operated by a modern electrified system.
The project uses the Velaro Novo ship - Siemens Mobility's newest and most modern high-speed ship, with a maximum design speed of 350 km/h, aiming to reshape high-speed transport standards in Vietnam.
The starting point of the route is located in the Ben Thanh area (Ben Thanh ward), the ending point is in a land area of about 39 hectares, bordering Can Gio sea encroachment tourist urban area (Can Gio commune).
The metro line passes through wards and communes including: Ben Thanh, Khanh Hoi, Xom Chieu, Tan Thuan, Tan My, Nha Be, Binh Khanh, An Thoi Dong and Can Gio.
In phase 1, the project will build two main stations, Ben Thanh and Can Gio. The depot and operating center (OCC) are expected to be located in the Can Gio area.
The metro line is expected to operate 6 regular trains and 1 reserve train, with a total of 56 cars. Daily operating hours are from 6 am to 11 pm, frequency 20 minutes/trip; each hour there are 3 pairs of trains running in two directions.
The total travel time of the entire route is only about 20.3 minutes, significantly shortening travel time between the center of Ho Chi Minh City and the Can Gio coastal area.
The project has a preliminary total investment of about 102,430 billion VND, excluding site clearance costs of about 12,784 billion VND allocated by the state budget.
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction, the Ben Thanh - Can Gio Metro project is expected to be constructed from March 2026, completed in 2028.
Along with the Ben Thanh - Can Gio Metro line, Ho Chi Minh City has started the Can Gio bridge project and is preparing to deploy the Can Gio - Vung Tau sea-crossing road. Thanks to that, the Southern area of Ho Chi Minh City is gradually forming a strategic transport infrastructure network, connecting synchronously between roads, urban railways and inter-regional traffic.
When these projects are completed, Can Gio will not only end the "oasis" of transportation that has lasted for many years, but also stand before the opportunity to make strong breakthroughs in economy, tourism and urban development, gradually becoming an important sea gateway of Ho Chi Minh City in the future.
