Hanoi determined to soon operate its long-delayed metro line: Party chief

Hanoi’s authorities and the Ministry of Transport are determined to put the city’s long-delayed Cat Linh - Ha Dong metro line into operation as soon as possible, VnExpress quoted Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Vuong Dinh Hue as saying at a meeting with the city's Fatherland Front on February 26.

This is Hue's first public appearance after being appointed as head of the city's Party Committee on February 7.

Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Vuong Dinh Hue speaks at the meeting. Photo: Viet Thanh

Hue said that the municipal government will work with the Ministry of Transport to remove difficulties for the railway project.

"The Ministry of Transport takes main responsibility for the railway line, but it has been built in the capital city, thus the city’s and the ministry’s leaders will meet and find solutions," Hue said.

He added that the municipal government agreed on concentrating resources to speed up construction of the substructure as well as to solve other issues to put the overhead railway project into operation.

The Cat Linh - Ha Dong railway, which covers around 13 km, running between Cat Linh street in Dong Da district in Hanoi downtown and Yen Nghia bus station in Ha Dong district

Work on the line began in October 2011 and was originally planned for completion in 2013.

This metro line has 13 train sets with four carriages each. The trains are painted green and sport the image of Khue Van Cac, a symbol of Hanoi.

The total initial investment of the project was US$552.86 million (in 2008), including US$133.86 million from the Vietnamese government and US$419 million borrowed from China. However, it has been adjusted to US$868 million, with loans from China increasing by around US$250 million to US$669 million.

The Hanoi Metropolitan Railway Board is reviewing the documents, conducting field inspections to evaluate each item of the project and verifying the detailed outline of the system's test.