Statistics from Hanoi Urban Railway Company Limited (Metro Hanoi) show that nine months into the commercial operation since November last year, nearly six million passengers have rode the Cat Linh-Ha Dong Metro Line, the first of its kind in Vietnam.
The average daily ridership ranges from 21,000 to 22,000 on weekdays, and 25,000 to 30,000 on weekends, the Metro Hanoi said, adding that during holidays, this average figure goes as high as 40,000.
During the holiday of National Day [September 2], more than 516,000 passengers used the service. Especially on September 2, the daily passenger count hit 55,000, breaking the previous record of 54,000 passengers during the holiday of International Labor Day [May 1], the Metro Hanoi stressed.
Passengers travel on the Cat Linh-Ha Dong metro line. Photo: Khanh Huy/ The Hanoi Times |
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According to General Director of Metro Hanoi Vu Hong Truong, railway line ridership has increased 2.5 times compared to when the service opened.
“The has an on-time performance of 99%. Daily passengers with a monthly pass account for up to 60% of commuters, and up to 80% during rush hours,” Truong said.
Explaining the reason behind the increase in ridership, Truong said that people have seen the railway line as convenient, stable, and unaffected by traffic jams.
"People using the train tend to accept walking a long distance to get to the stations. After boarding the train, they can then transfer to connecting buses. There are now 54 bus lines connected to the Cat Linh-Ha Dong skytrain, with 16 lines at each of the two ends of the railway, and eight to nine lines at stations along the way," Truong added.
He stressed that the railway had brought positive initial results, contributing to reducing road congestion along the route during rush hours. The current state of operation is the best scenario that Hanoi Metro has prepared for.
At each terminal along the Cat Linh-Ha Dong metro line, the metro line staff distribute guidance handbooks to passengers, instructed commuters to get on and get off the trains properly.
The lowest price per ride is VND8,000 (US$0.34), while full-day and monthly tickets are priced at VND30,000 ($1.3) and VND200,000 ($8.8) respectively.
The trains operate from 5:00 am to 11:00 pm daily with the frequency of six minutes during rush hour and ten to 15 minutes during ordinary time.
Although the designed train speed can reach a maximum of 80 kilometers per hour, the average current speed is just 35 kilometers per hour. The total travel time in the whole line is over 24 minutes and the trains stop for 45 seconds at each terminal.
