Vietnam-China cooperation sees Hanoi Metro open: Vietnam’s first urban railway

Hanoi’s new metro system opened to the public in January this year (2022). This is Vietnam’s first urban light rail, and was built by a Chinese company under contract.

The metro project is part of the Vietnam Ministry of Transport’s master plan, which aims to reduce the use of private transport and enhance the urban environment. The metro is an efficient and convenient solution to reduce road traffic, and since it is subsidized by the Vietnamese government, it is also very affordable. The Hanoi metro is a good example of China-Vietnam cooperation: built by China Railway Sixth Group, its operation is 100 percent in the hands of the Vietnamese metro company (Hanoi Metro Company), which is a subsidiary Vietnam Railways (Đường sắt Việt Nam), the state-owned operator of the railway system in Vietnam.

Prior to its official opening on 13 January 2022, the metro line had already made about 13,000 runs and carried more than 1 million people during the 67-day trial operation, which started on November 6, 2021.

Each day, the 13-kilometer Cat Linh-Ha Dong metro route carried an average of 14,917 passengers, according to the Hanoi Municipal government.

As the first urban railway in Vietnam, the Cat Linh-Ha Dong line can help realize a 20-minute convenient living circle in Hanoi.

The line with 12 existing stations linking railway and bus stations and universities, was built by China Railway Sixth Group Co, and has a maximum transport capacity of 28,500 passengers per hour in each direction. A furher 12 stations are under construction. The system will eventually consist of 8 lines with a total length of 318 kilometres 

The metro line is also the largest urban light rail project built by China that has integrated the full industry chain of Chinese standards, including construction technology, equipment, materials, supervision and management.

In the attached video, Vietnamese blogger and broadcaster Luna Oi, takes a ride on the metro.

Click to watch:

Sources:

• Global Times, January 13, 2022. https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202201/1245916.shtml
• Friends of Socialist China, April 24, 2022.
  https://socialistchina.org/2022/04/24/luna-oi-showcases-hanois-new-metro/
• Hanoi Metro, Accessed 30 April 2022.
  https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Hanoi_Metro