Trains ran through the night to ease congestion and ensure safe travel as people headed home after New Year’s celebrations.
Shortly after midnight, stations such as Opera House and Ba Son were packed, with platforms and concourses nearing capacity.
After 1 am, access points remained crowded as passengers with backpacks, cameras and flags waited to board.
“I waited more than half an hour just to get through the ticket gates. It was very tiring, so we had to rest for a while before continuing,” said Nguyen Thi Hoa.
Despite heavy crowds, staff were deployed across stations to guide passengers, make announcements and regulate boarding. Train carriages remained orderly, with no reports of pushing.
The Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien metro route (Metro Line 1) had earlier announced overnight services from 12.30 am to 2 am to serve residents after the countdown and fireworks, helping ease pressure on central roads.
On January 1, all metro rides are free of charge, with passengers able to enter using chip-based ID cards, QR codes on the HCMC Metro HURC app, or paper QR tickets issued at station kiosks.
Service frequency was also increased for the New Year holiday. On December 31, the line operated 264 trips from 5 am to 11 pm. On January 1, the number will rise to 276 trips, including 20 overnight services.
