According to the department, the elevated section from Nhon Street to Cau Giay Street would be operated in the first half of this year.
There are now 31 bus routes connecting to the Nhon-Cau Giay section with 118,000 passengers travelling a day. The department is considering launching nine new bus routes and adjusting three others to better facilitate the operation of the metro line.
The department also predicts that between 15-20 percent of local people would use the metro line.
Test runs on the elevated section of Nhon - Hanoi Station metro line were successfully conducted late last year. The entire line is set to be put into operation in 2027.
The double-track railway line is 12.5km long, with the elevated sections spanning 8.5km and the remaining 4km underground. It runs through the districts of Nam Tu Liem, Bac Tu Liem, Cau Giay, Ba Dinh, Dong Da, and Hoan Kiem.
Construction of Nhon - Hanoi Station metro line officially started in 2010 and was scheduled to be completed in 2015. The long delay has been blamed for land clearance issues, contractor capacity, coordination between the consulting agencies, investors, and city departments, and then the Covid-19 pandemic.
Hanoi has put the Cat Linh-Ha Dong first metro line into operation two years ago as the first in the city.
The capital city plans six more underground urban railway lines with a combined length of 86.5 kilometres.