A test run was conducted Wednesday on an elevated section of Ho Chi Minh City's Metro Line No. 1, said the city's Management Authority for Urban Railways (MAUR).
The city's 22-kilometer metro line runs from Ben Thanh in District 1 to Suoi Tien Depot in Thu Duc city. The nine-kilometer section starts from Suoi Tien, and passes Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City, Hi-tech Zone Station, Thu Duc Station, before arriving at Binh Thai Station.
During the test, the train stopped to pick up and drop off passengers at the Hi-tech Zone Station.
Nguyen Quoc Hien, MAUR’s deputy head, described the event as an important milestone marking the transition from construction completion to trial operation.
In 2023, the authority will work with NJPT consultants and contractors to accelerate the project's implementation, moving towards commercial operation.
"As 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties, the project's completion will be a highlight of their bilateral friendship," he added.
Work began on the Metro Line No. 1 in 2008. The project has missed several deadlines and the latest operation timeline is the fourth quarter of next year. Nearly 94% of the work has been completed.
The city's first metro line is designed to have three underground and 11 elevated stations. It has 17 Japanese-made trains, carrying 930 passengers each. The trains can travel up to 110 kph above ground and 80 kph underground.
Metro Line No. 1 is expected to cost over VND43.7 trillion ($1.89 billion), sourced from Japanese assistance and Vietnamese counterpart funds.