The Government of Ho Chi Minh (HCM) City will prioritise investment in existing metro lines as well as new projects under the development plan for railway and green transport development (Bus Rapid Transit) projects for the years 2021-2025. The city will finish and open the 19.7 km long metro line No. 1 between Ben Thanh Market and Suoi Tien tourist park, as well as begin construction on the 11.32 km long metro line No. 2 between Ben Thanh Market and Tham Luong. In addition, the city has also set goals to construct 211 km of railway and BRT during 2021-2030.
Other project scheduled to be completed during the 2021-2015 period includes the first phase of metro line 5, which is 8.9 km long and connects Bay Hien intersection with Saigon bridge; the first phase of metro line 3a, which is 9.7 km long and connects Ben Thanh market with Western bus station; the 23 km long BRT line No. 1, and a light rail route connecting Thu Thiem Urban Area with the rest of the city. More than 85 per cent of the metro line 1 construction has been completed and works are scheduled to be completed by 2022. The work on the metro line 2 project’s site clearance is underway, with completion expected by the end of 2021. The BRT project is set to start in the fourth quarter of 2021. The project has a total investment of over USD121.2 million by the World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) and reciprocal capital of almost USD18.38 million.
The City Urban Railway Management Board in HCM City has been tasked with working with the Urban Railway No. 1 Company Limited and other relevant departments to develop a thorough implementation plan and propose resources to ensure that metro line No. 1 is operational as soon as possible. The works on metro line 2 and the preparation for the investment of other urban railway lines will be accelerated to meet the deadline.