The above recommendation was made by Ms. Vu Minh Huyen - Deputy Head of the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Management Board (MAUR) on the afternoon of December 19.
Ms. Vu Minh Huyen said that the official announcement ceremony of Metro Line 1 (Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien) will take place at 7:00 a.m. at Ben Thanh underground station (District 1).
Then, from 10am, all 14 stations on the line will open to welcome passengers. The number of passengers on the first day is expected to be very large.
“Metro Line 1 will be free of charge for the first 30 days (from December 22, 2024 to January 20, 2025), so people can flexibly choose the time to experience it, instead of focusing on the first day,” said Ms. Huyen.
According to Ms. Vu Minh Huyen, initially, Metro Line 1 will operate from 5am to 10pm every day, with 9 trains operating continuously, a total of 200 trips/day.
The interval between trips is 8 - 12 minutes, each train has a maximum capacity of 930 passengers, including 147 seats and 783 standing places.
With a maximum speed of 110 km/h on the elevated section and 80 km/h underground, the journey from Ben Thanh Station to Suoi Tien Bus Station takes about 29 minutes. Passengers can get on and off at any of the 14 stations on the line.
In particular, 10 elevated stations (except Suoi Tien Bus Station) all have parking lots right below, making it more convenient for passengers to move around.
Ms. Vu Minh Huyen said that the official operation of Metro Line 1 marks an important milestone in the effort to modernize Ho Chi Minh City's public transport system.
As the city's first metro line, Metro Line 1 has a total length of 19.7 km, connecting the center of District 1 with eastern areas such as Binh Thanh and Thu Duc City.
"This Metro line not only helps reduce traffic pressure on major routes such as Hanoi Highway (now Vo Nguyen Giap Street), but also brings many economic, social and environmental benefits," said Ms. Huyen.
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Public Transport Management Center, 17 bus routes with 150 electric buses connecting to Metro Line 1 will start running from tomorrow (December 20).
