Passengers on the first metro line in HCM City on December 22.
The 19.70-kilometre-long Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien Metro line links Ben Thanh Market in District 1 with Suoi Tien Theme Park in Thu Duc City, which is the city's first of eight planned routes for its mass transit system, has finally operated after 17 years of planning and 12 years of construction.
Speaking at the line's launching ceremony, Bui Xuan Cuong, Vice Chairman of the HCM City People's Committee, said this marked a significant milestone in advancing the city's public transport system.
"The line is expected to address the burgeoning travel demands of residents while contributing to establishing a modern and sustainable public transportation framework," he said.
According to the HCM City Urban Railway 1 Company Limited (HURC1), the line operated 78 trains during the first six hours between 10 am and 4 pm on December 22, serving nearly 55,000 passengers.
HURC1 also said the line would run 200 trips between 5 am and 10 pm during the first six months of commercial operations.
After that, the line will operate from 5 am to 11 pm, with 276 trips daily between Monday and Friday. On weekends and holidays, the number of services will fall to 226.
Passengers would pay VND7,000 and VND20,000 for their trips based on the distance between 5 and 20 km. For passengers using cashless payment methods, fares will be slightly reduced, ranging from 6,000 to 19,000 VND.
One-day tickets will cost VND40,000, three-day tickets cost VND90,000, and monthly tickets VND300,000. Passengers who are elderly or have disabilities are exempt from fare charges.
During its first month of operation, passengers will have free access to the metro and 17 electric bus routes that connect with it.