Forming an inter-regional metro system
Currently, Ho Chi Minh City is urgently reviewing the entire urban railway planning according to the new model after the merger, including re-determining the location of stations, depots, underground space planning and urban development orientation according to the TOD model (urban development associated with transportation).
Before the merger, Ho Chi Minh City had planned 12 metro lines with a total length of about 510km. Of which, 7 routes are being prioritized for implementation with a total length of 355km, expected to be completed in 2035. At the same time, the railway line connecting Thu Thiem - Long Thanh and the metro line District 7 - Can Gio are also being promoted with socialized capital. The total capital demand for 9 metro lines and urban railways is up to more than 1.2 million billion VND.
Meanwhile, Binh Duong province has planned 12 metro lines with a total length of 305km, while Ba Ria - Vung Tau has 3 lines with a length of about 125km. Thus, when merging, Ho Chi Minh City will expand to have a metro network of nearly 1,000km - not to mention the national railway lines that are being adjusted so that the locality can proactively invest.
Currently, Metro Line 1 (Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien) has been in operation for more than 6 months and recorded more than 10 million passengers - far exceeding initial expectations.
Following this success, Metro Line 2 (Ben Thanh - Tham Luong) is urgently completing procedures to be able to start construction at the end of 2025. The items include preparing an adjusted feasibility study report, technical design (FEED), appraisal and bidding are being promoted. The total investment capital of the project is about 47,900 billion VND.
For Binh Duong, the metro line from Binh Duong New City to Suoi Tien (connecting to Metro Line 1 of Ho Chi Minh City) is being prioritized for investment. The route is more than 29km long, with a total investment of about VND46,725 billion and will use Long Binh depot with Metro Line 1.
In the Southeast, the Thu Thiem - Long Thanh railway line is expected to become a "backbone" connecting two major airports, Tan Son Nhat and Long Thanh. Ba Ria - Vung Tau is also orienting the development of metro line 3 passing through Vung Tau - Ba Ria - Phu My and connecting to Long Thanh airport.
Acceleration by special mechanism
According to Dr. Pham Viet Thuan - Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Institute of Natural Resources and Environment Economics, the merger of 3 localities helps form a large-scale super urban area, creating favorable conditions for building a synchronous metro network in terms of technology, technology and route direction. The common application of technology will reduce investment and operation costs, while creating a big boost for the domestic railway industry.
In particular, specific mechanisms from Resolution 98 and Resolution 188 will continue to be applied to the entire expanded area. Thanks to that, Ho Chi Minh City can ignore the investment policy step and immediately start a project if it has capital. This mechanism significantly shortens the time to prepare and deploy new metro lines.
According to Architect Ngo Viet Nam Son - an urban planning expert, Ho Chi Minh City needs to develop an inter-regional metro system, throughout the route between Ho Chi Minh City - Binh Duong - Ba Ria - Vung Tau, including a branch connecting to Long Thanh airport. Metro lines should be linked to the TOD model so that each station becomes the core of urban development, leading to renovation, increasing land value and attracting investment.
Mr. Son emphasized: To effectively implement TOD, the city needs to have stronger policies, remove legal barriers and flexible financial mechanisms. When TOD is well developed, wherever the metro goes, the urban area will develop, while creating a stable source of income to reinvest in the metro system".
Dr. Pham Viet Thuan also said that to serve travel needs effectively, it is necessary to classify vehicles according to speed: Within a radius of less than 30km (such as connecting with Binh Duong), metro at a speed of about 80km/h is suitable. For longer routes such as Ho Chi Minh City - Vung Tau, it is necessary to invest in railway lines with a speed of 160km/h or more to shorten travel time, opening up opportunities for inter-regional living and working.
Metro No. 1 (Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien) will be put into commercial operation from December 22, 2024. To date, Metro Line 1 has run 33,224 trips (reaching 100.25% of the plan), carrying more than 10.1 million passengers. The average number of passengers per day is 59,023. On holidays, Tet or weekends, the number of passengers increases dramatically, concentrated at central stations such as Ben Thanh Station, City Theater Station, Ba Son Station, Suoi Tien Bus Station, therefore, the operator must adjust the number of trains to serve the travel needs of the people. Metro No. 1 officially collects tolls from January 21, 2025, after more than 5 months of implementing toll collection, revenue has reached more than 91 billion VND.
