The Metro Line 1 in Ho Chi Minh City during a trial run.
The figures were included in a proposal sent by the municipal people's committee on Tuesday to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Council. The proposal also stated that the metro lines would help the local public transportation network serve 40-50 percent of travel demand.
Speaking at the Tuesday meeting to propose the New Metro Network Development Project, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee Phan Van Mai said that they plan to spend USD40 billion on the construction of 355 km of metro line by 2035 and USD27 billion on the next 155 km, which is scheduled to be completed by 2045.
The city leader also shared that they are collaborating with the State Inspection Council to complete the final stages of construction acceptance for Metro Line 1, which is set to commence commercial operations on December 22.
"However, the inauguration ceremony is projected to take place after the Lunar New Year in 2025, as adequate preparation and discussions with the Japanese side are necessary," he said.
Ho Chi Minh City started constructing the 12-km Metro Line 1 (Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien) over 12 years ago. Meanwhile, the 11-km Metro Line 2 (Ben Thanh - Tham Luong) project, approved 14 years ago, has yet to start construction.