Ben Thanh - Can Gio Metro line sets record: Investment conditions completed in just 2 months.

Responding to questions about Ho Chi Minh City's transportation infrastructure at the 6th session of the 10th term of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council on December 10th, Mr. Tran Quang Lam, Director of the Department of Construction, said that the city has meticulously prepared its transportation strategy, especially the framework infrastructure system.

The city is investing heavily in its transportation system, including metro lines, regional and inter-regional connecting roads such as Ring Road 2, Ring Road 3, Ring Road 4, and expressways such as the Ho Chi Minh City - Moc Bai expressway, the Thu Dau Mot - Chon Thanh expressway, etc.

The Ben Thanh - Can Gio Metro line, from Tan Thuan to Can Gio, will be elevated, running parallel to the Ben Luc - Long Thanh expressway.

In particular, regarding urban rail, Mr. Lam said that Ho Chi Minh City has made very thorough preparations to build a subway system, recognizing that it must invest heavily in this type of transportation to solve urban traffic problems and synchronize infrastructure.

Since the issuance of National Assembly Resolution 188, Ho Chi Minh City has applied a very strong and unique streamlined mechanism in urban railway investment. A prime example is the Can Gio - Ben Thanh Metro line, which has been implemented faster than any other project in history. In just two months, relevant departments completed all the necessary conditions to submit the investment plan to the City People's Committee for approval. On December 19th, the city will commence construction on a series of key projects, including the Ben Thanh - Can Gio Metro line.

The city has also prepared and balanced the necessary capital to ensure that by 2030, the road and urban rail transport systems will be largely completed and regional connectivity will be ensured.

The Ben Thanh - Tham Luong section of Metro Line 2 will begin construction in January 2026, and many other lines are in the preparation phase for future construction. Of these, at least 180km must be completed by 2030, and the remaining 300km will be completed by 2035.

The routes to be invested in and completed by 2030 include Ben Thanh - Tham Luong; Ben Thanh - Thu Thiem; Thu Thiem - Long Thanh; Ben Thanh - Can Gio; Binh Duong New City connecting with Suoi Tien....

Ho Chi Minh City's metro lines are prioritized for investment until 2035. (Source: Department of Construction)

The Ben Thanh - Can Gio Metro line has a total investment of approximately VND 102,430 billion (excluding approximately VND 12,784 billion for land acquisition costs). Vinspeed High-Speed Railway Investment and Development Joint Stock Company (a subsidiary of Vingroup ) is the investor implementing the project.

This line is over 54km long, with phase 1 consisting of only the first and last stations, Ben Thanh and Can Gio stations. The estimated travel time from the first to the last station is approximately 13 minutes.

Phase 2 will add 4 more stations (when needed), including Tan Thuan, Tan My, Nha Be, and Binh Khanh stations, along with 1 depot and 1 control center, which are expected to be located in Can Gio commune.

The project passes through 8 communes and wards of Ho Chi Minh City, including Ben Thanh ward, Xom Chieu ward, Tan Thuan ward, Tan My ward, Nha Be commune, Binh Khanh commune, An Thoi Dong commune and Can Gio commune, requiring approximately 328.26 hectares of land (including the railway protection corridor).

The entire line is expected to have 6 trains, each with 5 carriages and a capacity of 600 passengers using fixed seats; there will be no standing room. Trains will run every 20 minutes, uniformly during both peak and off-peak hours, from 6 AM to 11 PM every day of the week.

The 54km metro line will cross four rivers: Soài Rạp, Rạch Đĩa, Lôi Giang, and Dinh Bà, running parallel to Rừng Sác road.

When it becomes operational in 2028, the project is expected to employ approximately 400 workers. The project has an operating period of 70 years from the date of investment approval and investor acceptance.

Vinspeed anticipates the project will take approximately two years to complete. If successful, this would be a new milestone in infrastructure construction speed in Vietnam.

From the initial concept to project approval, the Ben Thanh - Can Gio Metro project took less than a year. At the conference announcing the Ho Chi Minh City planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, in early January, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh shared that he had recently discussed with Mr. Pham Nhat Vuong, Chairman of Vingroup, the construction of a subway system from the center of Ho Chi Minh City to Can Gio.
In early March, Ho Chi Minh City held a meeting with the investor, Vingroup, who reported to the leaders of the Department of Construction on the detailed proposal to invest in an urban railway line connecting the city center to Can Gio. By April, Ho Chi Minh City had submitted a report to the Prime Minister, proposing the inclusion of the Can Gio metro line in the planning.
Subsequently, relevant departments continuously worked with businesses on preparing for the project's investment. In early December, the project received investment approval and was eligible for commencement on December 19th.

Quang Huy

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/ky-luc-cua-metro-ben-thanh-can-gio-2-thang-da-hoan-tat-cac-dieu-kien-dau-tu-ar992330.html