Ho Chi Minh City hosted a ceremony on October 13 in order to welcome the arrival of the first set of carriages which will be used on the Metro Line No 1 Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien. 

Municipal leaders view the interior of the first train to be used
on Metro Line No 1 Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien 

The arrival of the vital parts marks the first out of a total of 17 trains which have recently been imported and transported to Ho Chi Minh City from Japan to undergo a trial run.

Bui Xuan Cuong, head of Ho Chi Minh City's Urban Railway Management Board, said that metro line No 1 Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien runs for a total length of 19.7 km and features 14 stations, with investment capital being sourced from Japan's Official Development Assistance (ODA).

Cuong emphasised that the successful transportation of the first train for the Metro Line No 1 from Japan marks an important milestone for the project, with the official transition from construction and installation to the trial and operational phases now taking place. At present, it is estimated that the project is approximately 77% complete in terms of the total construction volume.

During the ceremony, Nguyen Thanh Phong, chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, highlighted the great efforts made by engineers and workers to accelerate the construction process. Indeed, the project’s Management Board, investors, and consultants should exert all-out efforts in a bid to speed up the implementation of the project to welcome the next batch of trains in order to get the metro line up and running by late next year.

Phong affirmed that the southern city will create the most optimal conditions possible to accelerate the completion of the metro line in line with the schedule, while also expressing his belief that the project will serve as a bridge to boost exchanges between Ho Chi Minh City and Japan.

Municipal leaders expressed their desire to see the metro line contribute to reducing traffic congestion and environmental pollution, whilst accelerating economic development in the city in the post-novel coronavirus (COVID-19) period.