The trial run of Hanoi’s Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway project will take place from December 12 to 31 to assess its safety, Vu Hong Phuong, director of the Transport Ministry’s railway project management board, told reporters.

Part of Hanoi’s Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway project

In addition, the test will cover emergency response drills and examine related environmental protection work and the fire prevention and control system, Phuong noted.

Running from Cat Linh in Ba Dinh district to Ha Dong district, the railway, funded with Chinese ODA, has a total investment capital of approximately US$886 million after several adjustments.

The system is designed to have a main elevated line of more than 13km, 12 stations, and 13 trains. Each train, whose designed speed reaches 80 km per hour, has four carriages capable of carrying over 900 passengers.

Centrally controlled by a centre placed at the Ha Dong Depot, the railway is set to operate trains with a frequency of every 6 to 7 minutes, which can be shortened to 2 to 3 minutes during rush hours.

During the test run, the train will run from 5am to 11pm every day, with nine trains operated in rush hour compared to the normal six, informed Phuong.

Over 100 personnel from the engineering – procurement – construction (EPC) contractor of the project – the China Railway Sixth Group Co. Ltd, and about 10 experts from the French consulting firm Apave-Certifier-Tricc consortium (ACT) are mobilised for the trial run.

Chairman of the Hanoi Railway Vu Hong Truong said people trained for the project are ready for the pilot run, adding that train drivers now can operate independently without support from experts.