Elevated section of Hanoi’s second metro line to open in August

Hanoi plans to open the elevated section of its second metro line Nhon-Hanoi Station in August 2023, instead of the end of 2022 as previously scheduled.

In a proposal sent to the Prime Minister, the municipal People’s Committee said the city plans to complete the CP5 Nhon Depot in May 2023, with operations expected to commence in August 2023.

It attributed the delay to the contractors, investor and consultants, as well as poor coordination among relevant departments and agencies. In addition, the people's committee has failed to offer direction and there have been problems related to regulations, standards, material prices, and equipment for the urban railway, it said.

The city has stated that the entire line is unlikely to be put into service until 2027, raising the total investment by about VND1.9 trillion ($80.44 million) to VND34.826 trillion ($1.47 billion).

Once approved, this will be the second time the project’s total investment has been adjusted. The first time in 2014 saw the total investment raised from VND18 trillion to nearly VND33 trillion ($1.4 billion).

Currently, the whole project is about 75.6% complete, with work on the elevated section meeting 97.6%, and the underground section 33%. However, the project is facing difficulties in construction and payment for contractors as the procedures for adjusting investment policies had not been completed before 2023 as planned.

Three out of nine contractors sent written documents to suspend construction from early February 2023.

The Nhon-Hanoi Station metro line is 12.5 kilometers long. It has eight elevated and four underground stations. The 8.5-kilometer elevated section will run from Nhon in Bac Tu Liem district to Cau Giay district, and the four-kilometer underground section from Cau Giay district to Hanoi Railway Station in Dong Da district.

Work on the route started in 2009 and was initially scheduled for completion in 2015. After four deadline extensions, the metro line is expected to be finished in 2027.

The project is being funded with ODA from the French government, French Development Agency, Asian Development Bank, European Investment Bank and domestic counterpart funds.