Hanoi proposes additional $82 mln for second metro line

The Hanoi People's Committee has proposed the Prime Minister increase the total investment capital for the city’s second metro line (Nhon-Hanoi Station) by VND1.92 trillion ($81.8 million) to VND34.8 trillion ($1.48 billion).

Of the total, contribution from the city budget will increase by VND3.9 trillion to VND10 trillion ($426.44 million) while official development assistance (ODA) loans are expected to decrease VND1.98 trillion to VND24.8 trillion ($1.06 billion).

The ODA loans will include $374.62 million from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), 158.77 million euro ($175.17 million) from the French development agency (AFD), 125.5 million euro ($138.48 million) from the European Investment Bank (EIB), and 355.41 million euro ($392.15 million) from the French government.

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).

The municipal People’s Committee also proposed to adjust the project implementation time from 2009-2022 to 2009-2027, excluding the 24-month warranty period. It plans to put into operation the elevated section in 2023 and the whole route in 2027.

City authorities attributed the project delay to slow clearance and technical infrastructure relocation, limited investor capacity, and poor coordination among relevant departments and agencies.

By March 2023, the whole project was about 75.6% complete, with work on the elevated section 97.6% done, and the underground section, 33%. As of April, the CP05 package building Nhon Depot was only 78.1% complete, six months behind the adjusted schedule.

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 the Nhon area 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.

Hanoi’s first metro line Cat Linh-Ha Dong officially began operation on January 13, 2022 after over a decade of construction. With a total investment of approximately $868 million and funded by China’s ODA, the elevated line is more than 13 km long and has 12 stations and 13 trains.

The metro line served more than 2.65 million passengers in the first quarter of this year, skyrocketing 262% year-on-year. Currently there are 10,000 commuters using monthly passes. On average, the route transports over 32,000 passengers per weekday, and around 28,000 riders a weekend.