Strive to complete metro lines connecting Long Thanh airport before 2030

It is expected that in 2026, Long Thanh International Airport (Dong Nai) will be put into commercial operation, the demand for traffic connection between Tan Son Nhat Airport and Long Thanh will increase. Currently, the City has proposed connecting urban railway lines (metro), forming a continuous metro line to serve passenger transport between the two international airports.

Ho Chi Minh City strives to complete metro lines connecting Long Thanh airport before 2030. Photo: Hong Dat/VNA

Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction said that the city is identifying a list of key projects to be implemented in the 2026-2030 period and until 2035, prioritizing projects that are connected and expand development space in line with the new situation. By 2030, the city strives to complete three routes connecting Tan Son Nhat airport, the center of Ho Chi Minh City with Long Thanh airport. These are two sections of metro line No. 2 (Tham Luong - Ben Thanh section and Ben Thanh - Thu Thiem section) and the Thu Thiem - Long Thanh railway line.

Regarding the Ben Thanh – Tham Luong metro line, the City People’s Committee has issued a decision on the project implementation plan, directing specialized agencies and investors to urgently complete appraisal procedures and submit for approval of project adjustments, ensuring the goal of starting construction before January 19, 2026.

Meanwhile, the Department of Finance is advising the City People's Committee on the investment plan for the Thu Thiem - Long Thanh and Ben Thanh - Thu Thiem routes (assigning investors to implement under the PPP public-private partnership method - BT contract); adding the Thu Thiem - Long Thanh route project to the project list according to Resolution No. 188/2025/QH15, dated February 19, 2025 on Piloting a number of specific and special mechanisms and policies to develop the urban railway network system in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City; updating and adjusting plans... Both projects aim to start construction early and complete in 2030.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction, the major challenges in implementing current projects are site clearance, financial resource mobilization, technology transfer, and railway industry development. In addition, these railway lines pass through densely populated areas and central areas, greatly affecting existing works. With underground metro lines, complex technical requirements and huge investment costs make progress easily affected if legal procedures and capital mechanisms are not synchronized.

The implementation of urban development in the direction of public transport (TOD) also requires close coordination between urban management agencies, transport, finance and investors to synchronously develop urban areas along the metro line. This is a new model, the City does not have much experience, learning from the experience of other countries while implementing the pilot.

The Department of Construction said that in order to quickly deploy these railway lines, Ho Chi Minh City is making the most of the special mechanism of Resolution No. 188/2025/QH15 and the Railway Law to shorten investment preparation procedures. The city reviews, organizes the establishment, appraisal, approval, and adjustment of the TOD area planning around stations and depots, focusing on the implementation of the Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien and Ben Thanh - Tham Luong metro lines...

The city also focuses on completing the Project to mobilize investment capital for the urban railway network system; organize training and development of human resources for the railway sector; at the same time, review land funds, submit to the City People's Council to issue a list of corresponding land funds for investment projects under the PPP method, BT (build - transfer) contract type...

“With these solutions, the City believes it will significantly shorten the implementation time, ensure the progress and quality of the routes, and at the same time form a modern public transport system, effectively connecting with urban areas and neighboring areas, meeting the increasing travel needs of people,” informed the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction.

In October 2025, the City People's Committee proposed to the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha a plan to connect Tan Son Nhat International Airport and Long Thanh; in which it proposed the use of metro line 2 (Tham Luong - Ben Thanh, Ben Thanh - Thu Thiem) and the Thu Thiem - Long Thanh railway line, due to favorable conditions for early implementation.

Currently, the Ben Thanh - Tham Luong section, about 12 km long, has basically completed site clearance. At Ba Queo station area, Truong Chinh and Tan Ky - Tan Quy roads are being studied for investment and expansion, expected to be completed in 2029, creating favorable conditions for transferring passengers from Tan Son Nhat airport to Ba Queo station.

For the Ben Thanh - Thu Thiem section, a short distance (about 6 km), it is planned to go underground along the road boundaries of major traffic routes such as Ham Nghi and Mai Chi Tho streets, which is convenient for site clearance and can be deployed quickly.

Meanwhile, the Thu Thiem - Long Thanh route has a basic route along the Ho Chi Minh City - Long Thanh - Dau Giay expressway corridor and Ring Road 3 (which has been planned and is mainly vacant land). In Dong Nai, the route goes into the median strip of Provincial Road 25B, which is convenient for site clearance.

The People's Committee of Ho Chi Minh City has proposed to the Prime Minister to "Agree on the policy of prioritizing the acceleration of the implementation of metro line No. 2 (Ben Thanh - Tham Luong, Ben Thanh - Thu Thiem sections) and the Thu Thiem - Long Thanh railway line; continue to invest in metro line No. 6 to connect Tan Son Nhat airport with Long Thanh airport".

According to the Department of Construction, on October 29, the Prime Minister approved the adjustment of the Railway Network Planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, in which "the adjustment does not include the Thu Thiem - Long Thanh route in the planning and converts it into an urban railway; assigns Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Nai province to update it in the provincial planning and related planning".

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/kinh-te/phan-dau-hoan-thanh-cac-tuyen-metro-ket-noi-san-bay-long-thanh-truoc-nam-2030-20251209142335496.htm