HCMC plans to break ground on 9 metro lines in late 2027

Ho Chi Minh City is aiming to simultaneously break ground on nine urban metro lines by the end of 2027, with a total investment reaching $44 billion.

The plan covers seven lines in the former HCMC and two others in the former Binh Duong province. HCMC was recently merged with neighboring Binh Duong and Ba Ria-Vung Tau provinces to form the new mega HCMC.

According to the municipal Department of Construction, the investment will span two key phases: 2026-2030 and 2031-2035, with compensation, resettlement, and land clearance expected to be completed by 2027.

Construction on all the nine lines is set to begin in late 2027. The network is expected to cover 355 kilometers by 2035.

The project will build the Ben Thanh-Tham Luong, Ben Thanh-Thu Thiem, and Tham Luong-Cu Chi sections of Line 2; and expand the Ben Thanh-An Ha section of Line 1 and the Hiep Binh Phuoc-An Ha section of Line 3.

Other lines include Dong Thanh-Tan Son Nhat Airport-Ben Thanh-Hiep Phuoc (Line 4); Long Truong-Hanoi Highway-Saigon Bridge-Bay Hien-Da Phuoc Depot (Line 5); Inner Ring Road (Line 6); and Tan Kien-Nguyen Van Linh-Thu Thiem-Thao Dien-Thanh Da-High-Tech Park-Vinhomes Grand Park (Line 7).

The project will also construct Binh Duong Metro Line 1 (New Binh Duong City-Suoi Tien (HCMC), and Binh Duong Metro Line 2 (Thu Dau Mot City-HCMC).

In addition, Vingroup, Vietnam’s largest private conglomerate, has proposed a new rail line connecting central HCMC with Can Gio.

The combined investment, including the two Binh Duong-origin lines, is projected at $44 billion. Funding will come from a mix of sources, including state budget, non-budgetary capital, and value capture mechanisms based on transit-oriented development (TOD) principles.

The city is currently drafting a comprehensive investment mobilization plan aligned with the Politburo’s Conclusion No. 49 on orientations to develop Vietnam's railway transport to 2030, with a vision to 2045.

This plan will outline specific steps, synchronized investment strategies, and financial solutions, emphasizing a diversified capital structure, ranging from state budget and official development assistance (ODA) to public-private partnerships (PPPs).

The HCMC Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR) has been assigned as the main investor for all the nine lines. MAUR plans to complete feasibility studies and technical designs by 2027, in preparation for groundbreaking.

However, the Department of Construction warns of potential challenges, based on past experience with Metro Lines 1 and 2. These include land acquisition delays, technical infrastructure relocation (water, power and telecoms), regulatory complications, compensation pricing, and community resistance.

Some experts have questioned the feasibility of completing all the nine lines by 2035, pointing to Metro Line 1 (Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien), which took nearly two decades to reach initial operations.

They urge the city to prioritize completing Line 1’s TOD infrastructure, turning the line into a fully integrated urban corridor rather than focusing purely on network expansion.

Conversely, others argue that HCMC must move forward with metro development and view TOD as a necessity. Rapid transit growth, they say, will require strong support from the central government and multiple funding channels to unlock TOD’s full potential.