Nhon-Ha Noi Station metro line obtains international safety certificate

The approval paves the way for the elevated section, the second metro line in Ha Noi to enter operation at the end of this month.

The certificate will be submitted to Viet Nam Register and the Department for Management of Transport Work Construction and Quality under the Ministry of Transport (MoT) for appraisal.

The project's investor has worked closely with relevant units of the MoT so that the appraisal and acceptance of safety documents will be completed within this month.

The application for an environmental license for the elevated section of the project has also been submitted to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment for appraisal, which is anticipated to be done in July.

Duong Duc Tuan, Vice Chairman of the Ha Noi People's Committee, on Wednesday was quoted as saying that Ha Noi had already operated the elevated section as a trial. The ministries of transport, construction and finance have also completed evaluation of the safety systems.

Overview of the project

The Nhon – Ha Noi Station metro project has a total length of 12.5km. The line passes through eight elevated and four underground stations.

The approved investment at the start of the project was VND18.4 trillion (US$726 million) which is primarily funded by French Government ODA, but after several adjustments, the total investment has now increased to over VND30 trillion, an overspend of nearly 63 percent.

Work on the line started in 2009 and was initially scheduled for completion in 2015. After four deadline extensions, it is expected to be finished in 2027.

On August 7, 2022, the Government Office issued a document stating: "The Prime Minister directs the Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee to resolve the issues and put the elevated section of the Nhon - Ha Noi Station Railway into operation by the end of 2023.

Following that missed deadline, the board was completing the final procedures to commence commercial operations (passenger transport) before June 30.

In mid-June, the project received technical safety certification from the Viet Nam Register for commercial operation as planned in the second quarter.

With 13 delays over nine years, the Nhon – Ha Noi Metro project is also the highest-cost overrun project among the urban railway projects under construction in Ha Noi.

In fact, this is one of the city's important transportation projects, with the goal of reducing traffic congestion, improving the public transportation system and contributing to environmental protection.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has requested Ha Noi and HCMC to put the elevated sections of the Nhon-Ha Noi Station metro line and the Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien metro line into operation sooner than planned.

The development of urban railway networks in Ha Noi and HCMC needs to take into account local characteristics, including connectivity with the high-speed North-South railway.

Ha has instructed the two cities to choose top-tier design units for the planning of the urban railway networks, with a vision "spanning for 100 years."

As the Politburo has envisioned, by 2045 Ha Noi and HCMC must complete their urban railway networks. By 2035, each city must have 200 km of urban railways.

By 2030, HCMC should have eight metro lines and three monorails, spanning a total of 220 km and costing around $25 billion.

Ha Noi should have 10 urban railway lines spanning a total of 417 km, with 342 km of elevated sections and 75 km underground. The capital currently only has the Cat Linh-Ha Dong metro line in operation, after over 10 years since its construction date.

Previously, the Cat Linh - Ha Dong urban railway project experienced a six-year delay, a 45 percent cost overrun and 10 missed deadlines. The project started operation in November 2021 and remains the only functioning metro line in Viet Nam./.