This morning, December 22nd, Metro Line 1 (Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien) will officially begin operation, marking a historic milestone in Ho Chi Minh City's urban transportation development.
Delegates experience and tour metro line 1 on the morning of December 22nd - Photo: QUANG DINH
At 7:40 AM, the official commissioning ceremony for Metro Line 1 began. Attending the ceremony were representatives from various ministries and departments in Vietnam, the Japanese Embassy and Consulate General. Locally, attendees included the Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, Nguyen Van Nen; the Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, Phan Van Mai; the Head of the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Management Board, Phan Cong Bang; and a large number of citizens.
At 8:30 AM on December 22nd, leaders and delegates toured and experienced Metro Line 1 - Photo: QUANG DINH
Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam ITO Naoki experiences Metro Line 1 - Photo: QUANG DINH
Party Secretary Nguyen Van Nen converses with Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam ITO Naoki - Photo: QUANG DINH
Mr. Phan Cong Bang - Head of the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Management Board - giving a speech - Photo: QUANG DINH
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Phan Cong Bang, head of the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Management Board, said that the urban railway project No. 1 has completed 100% of its work and officially commenced operation today.
The project implementation process has received strong guidance and attention from central and city leaders, coordination from various departments, and the support of Japan and its people.
In particular, Mr. Bang expressed his gratitude for the cooperation of the people affected by the project, which enabled its completion and operation.
Mr. Bang stated that in the coming period, the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Management Board is committed to implementing subsequent urban railway projects with high determination, innovative breakthroughs, and contributing to building a green, sustainable, civilized, and modern transportation system.
Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam ITO Naoki - Photo: QUANG DINH
Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam, ITO Naoki, also stated that this urban railway line will significantly change people's lives. Line 1 connects areas with high transportation demand, and there will be a major shift in people's modes of transportation from cars and motorbikes to urban rail.
Mr. ITO Naoki added that in the "new era" as General Secretary To Lam outlined, with the goal of achieving high economic growth focusing on key areas such as strategic infrastructure, digital transformation, green transformation, and the development of high-quality human resources, he believes Vietnam will have even more opportunities to cooperate with foreign businesses.
The success of Metro Line 1 will be a springboard for the development of other projects and works. "Congratulations to all of you," Mr. ITO Naoki said in Vietnamese.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Bui Xuan Cuong, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, on behalf of the city's leaders, expressed his delight that urban railway line No. 1 (Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien) has officially been put into operation.
Mr. Cuong believes this is an important milestone in the development of public transportation in Ho Chi Minh City.
Metro Line 1 is not only a modern project but also a symbol of Ho Chi Minh City's progress and aspirations. The project marks a milestone in realizing a public transportation system, reducing traffic congestion and environmental pollution.
"This journey is not only evidence of the persistent efforts of the city government but also demonstrates the effective cooperation between the Vietnamese Government and the Japanese Government," Mr. Cuong said.
On behalf of the city's leadership, Mr. Cuong expressed his deep gratitude to the central government leaders, friendly countries, ministries and departments, Ho Chi Minh City, experts, engineers, consulting contractors, and workers...
Mr. Cuong particularly acknowledged the contributions and support of the people, their understanding and empathy regarding the inconveniences that allowed the city to construct and operate the project.
At the same time, Mr. Cuong believes that Metro Line 1 will become a symbol of modernity, closely connected to the lives of residents and tourists. In the next phase, Ho Chi Minh City will focus on investing in the comprehensive development of the urban railway network and developing the TOD (Transit-Oriented Development) model to build Ho Chi Minh City into a modern, civilized, and compassionate city.
Continuing his speech at the ceremony, Mr. Nguyen Minh Vu, Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs , stated that the relationship between Vietnam and Japan continues to develop positively. He added that Metro Line 1 is of significant importance and serves as a symbolic element in the development cooperation between Vietnam and Japan.
Mr. Vu believes that the railway line will operate smoothly and efficiently, making a positive contribution to infrastructure improvement, bringing a new look to the city, strengthening urban connectivity, and improving the quality of life for the people.
This will open up many new experiences and opportunities for the two countries to continue cooperating in infrastructure development in the future.
Lieutenant General Le Hong Nam - Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Police Department and Mr. Mai Huu Quyet - Vice Chairman of the Thu Duc City People's Committee are reading the Tuoi Tre newspaper while traveling by train - Photo: CHAU TUAN
Large crowds of city residents welcomed the opening of Metro Line 1 from early morning.
Earlier in the morning, a large crowd had gathered at Ben Thanh Station to welcome this special event. Many delegates representing various ministries, departments, and Ho Chi Minh City were also present at Ben Thanh Station to participate in the event, creating a lively atmosphere.
Japanese Consul General (second from the left) - Photo: HUU HANH
Party Secretary Nguyen Van Nen converses with Permanent Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu - Photo: QUANG DINH
Scene before the official opening ceremony of Metro Line 1 - Photo: QUANG DINH
Earlier, from 5:30 a.m., Mr. Nguyen Van Cuong, a former naval soldier, was present at Ben Thanh station (District 1) to attend the official launch ceremony of metro line 1.
Mr. Nguyen Van Cuong (seated furthest left) and his teammates attending the ceremony - Photo: CHAU TUAN
Present this morning, Mr. Cuong said he was very happy and proud to witness a key project of the city becoming operational on the very day of the Vietnam People's Army's Traditional Day.
He was deeply moved that, after 50 years of reunification, Ho Chi Minh City in particular and the country in general had made remarkable progress.
"We were once soldiers, and now we are citizens of the city, feeling very proud and excited. The first railway line will serve as a stepping stone for the city to develop its railway network. These projects will contribute to ushering the city into a new era of national progress."
Here are some photos from the official launch ceremony of Metro Line 1:
Official inauguration ceremony for Metro Line 1 - Photo: QUANG DINH
People experience and tour metro line 1 - Photo: QUANG DINH
Ho Chi Minh City Party Secretary Nguyen Van Nen and Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai (fourth and fifth from the left) attend the official launch ceremony of Metro Line 1 - Photo: HUU HANH
Vice Chairman of the People's Committee Bui Xuan Cuong (left) attends the official opening ceremony of Metro Line 1 - Photo: HUU HANH
City leaders attend the ceremony - Photo: HUU HANH
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Management Board (the investor), the official commissioning ceremony for metro line 1 will take place from 7-10 am on December 22nd.
After representatives from various ministries and departments, leaders of Ho Chi Minh City, and the investor deliver speeches and announce the operational ceremony, all delegates and many citizens will become the first special guests to ride Metro Line 1, with a route from Ben Thanh to Suoi Tien spanning approximately 19km.
At exactly 10:00 AM on the same day, all 14 stations on Metro Line 1 will open to welcome the public. Simultaneously, 17 new electric bus routes will also begin operating, transporting people directly to and from the stations.
Metro Line 1 (Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien) runs along Hanoi Highway and Vo Nguyen Giap Street - Photo: CHAU TUAN
Speaking to Tuoi Tre Online , Phan Cong Bang, Head of the Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway Management Board, said: "The commercial operation of Metro Line 1 not only marks the beginning of the Ho Chi Minh City metro system, but also serves as an important stepping stone for the construction of subsequent urban railway lines, aiming towards building a green, sustainable, civilized, and modern transportation system."
"To date, the competent authorities have agreed with the acceptance test results for metro line 1 to officially begin operation. This is a great joy for me as well as the entire Urban Railway Management Board and the operating unit."
I am very grateful to the leaders of Ho Chi Minh City and the relevant departments for their support throughout the project's development and completion.
This is an opportunity to review and accumulate valuable experience from Metro Line 1 and serves as a stepping stone for implementing the remaining projects according to the urban railway development plan that Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi have reported to the competent authorities.
"We expect that in the next 10 years, we will achieve the project's goals, contributing to creating new modes of transportation, reducing private vehicles, and effectively utilizing TOD (Transit-Oriented Development) ," Mr. Bang said.
From 10 AM today, people can begin experiencing free rides on Metro Line 1 for one month - Photo: CHAU TUAN
Initially, Metro Line 1 operated from 5 AM to 10 PM daily, with the first train departing at 5 AM and the last at 10 PM, using 9 trains.
Each train can carry a maximum of 930 people (including 147 seats and 783 standing places). The frequency is 8-12 minutes per trip, with a total of 200 trips per day.
The train's speed is 110 km/h on the elevated track and 80 km/h on the underground section. The journey time from Ben Thanh station to Suoi Tien bus station is 29 minutes.
How to buy tickets for Metro Line 1
From December 22, 2024 to January 20, 2025, passengers will receive free tickets on Metro Line 1 for the first 30 days of commercial operation. Passengers can obtain tickets using the following methods: From December 22, 2024 to January 9, 2025 : Passengers can scan their EMV Mastercard at the ticket gates; those without a card will be issued a free card at 14 stations. From January 10 to 20, 2025: Passengers can use their chip-based citizen ID card, national ID card, bank card, EMV card from domestic and international organizations such as Mastercard, Visa, JCB, AMEX, UPI, Napas, or QR Code via the HCMC Metro app to ride the train. The implementation of the electronic ticketing system for cashless payment on Metro Line 1 is currently being expedited. Vikki is the first digital bank to connect the automated train ticket payment system with the cashless card payment system. Accordingly, Vikki will collaborate with the international card organization Mastercard to issue VikkiGO cards. In addition, at the train station, they have set up counters and provided 30,000 free non-identified Mastercard VikkiGO cards for people to use on the train.Tuoitre.vn
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tau-dien-metro-so-1-chinh-thuc-van-hanh-o-tp-hcm-20241221223413199.htm#content-18
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