On December 22, Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Line 1, which was constructed under the “Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Construction Project (Ben Thanh – Suoi Thien (Line 1)” (hereinafter referred to as “the Project”), a yen loan project by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), was inaugurated.
The opening ceremony was attended by Ho Chi Minh City Party Secretary Nguyen Van Nen, People’s Committee Chairman Phan Van Mai, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Naoki Ito of the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam, JICA Vietnam Office Director Yuichi Kanno, and business people involved in the project, who congratulated the project. The platform was then opened to the public, and was crowded with many citizens who were pleased with the opening.
Ceremony guests boarding the first train
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s number one commercial city, is faced with traffic congestion and air pollution problems that are becoming more serious every year due to economic development and population growth. This project will build an urban railroad line in Ho Chi Minh City with a total of 14 stations and a total length of 19.7 km from Ben Thanh Station in the city center to Suoi Tay Terminal Station in the northeastern part of the city. In addition to being Ho Chi Minh City’s first urban railroad, the 2.5 km (3 stations) through the city center, where there are many residential and commercial facilities, runs underground and is also Vietnam’s first subway.
Japanese standards have been adopted for the rail system, and Japanese rolling stock and signaling systems equipped with safety devices have been installed. Platform screen doors have been introduced at stations to help prevent falls, and barrier-free features (Braille blocks, bulletin boards and broadcast information, wheelchair-only spaces in trains, etc.) have also been incorporated. Another highlight is that each station, especially in the underground section, has been designed to match the surrounding cityscape. The construction work was carried out by a Japanese company with advanced construction and supervision technologies in collaboration with a Vietnamese operator in a joint venture.
Inside Ben Thanh Station
Opera House Station premises
Underground tunnel (Photo courtesy of Shimizu Corporation and Maeda Corporation)
JICA has been supporting HURC1 since its establishment to strengthen the capacity of the organization, and Japanese railroad management know-how has also been utilized in this process. JICA has also supported the organization’s capacity building since the establishment of HURC1.
This project is expected to enable local residents to travel safely and comfortably, and to contribute to the alleviation of traffic congestion and air pollution in the Ho Chi Minh City metropolitan area, as well as to the development of the local economy.
JICA will continue its cooperation in the field of urban railroads.
© Source JICA
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